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Journalist Howie Severino reportedly questioned for briefly not wearing face mask

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<p>MANILA (<strong>UPDATE</strong>) - Journalist Howie Severino was questioned Wednesday after he &quot;momentarily&quot; pulled down his mask for a drink after riding his bike in Quezon City, a photojournalist said.</p><p>Severino was brought to the Amoranto Stadium and was among hundreds, including women and elderly, who were given a seminar on the proper use of face masks in public, according to photojournalist Luis Liwanag.</p><p>Wearing of face masks is mandatory under the city&#x27;s local ordinance.</p><div><script src="https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&amp;version=v2.5" async="" type="text/javascript"></script></div><div class="fb-post" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/683590961/posts/10158782995545962/?d=n" data-width="auto"> </div><p>Severino, in a related Facebook post, said he and his companions were all wearing masks when they made a stop at a bike shop in Mother Ignacia and bought drinks at a nearby store.</p><p>&quot;We were all outdoors where the risk of infection is much lower than indoors and maintained at least four feet distance from each other,&quot; he said.</p><p>&quot;I had just finished my drink and returned the bottle to the store before I could pull my mask back up, when at least two vehicles of QC law enforcers arrived to tell me I was talking without my mask covering my mouth and had to be brought to Amoranto for a seminar.&quot;</p><p>The journalist said he informed local government employees that he was previously a COVID-19 patient and has since tested negative for the virus thrice and tested positive for antibodies. </p><p>In April, Severino said he had contracted the respiratory illness and that he was the country&#x27;s COVID-19 patient 2828.</p><p>&quot;However, I am kind of glad that as QC is an epicenter of the disease in the Philippines, they are finally doing something, even if it’s a bit draconian. I even offered to give a talk at the seminar. Instead they returned my bike and told me I could go home,&quot; he said.</p><p>Severino said the QC government did not conduct contact tracing following his positive test result for the coronavirus.</p><p>&quot;Aggressive contact tracing has been proven in other countries to be a key to success in this pandemic. I am assuming their intent in taking people to a mass gathering in a stadium is to control the spread of the infection and save lives,&quot; he said.</p><p>&quot;I have followed all other safety protocols including a long isolation and quarantine after my discharge from the hospital, until I was officially declared a recovered patient. I have donated plasma for gravely ill patients. I’m very grateful that no one I was in contact with got infected. I’m a lucky person who has gone back to doing things I like to do, including early morning bike rides.&quot;</p><div><script src="https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&amp;version=v2.5" async="" type="text/javascript"></script></div><div class="fb-post" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/howie.severino/posts/10223361200759721" data-width="auto"> </div><p>As of Tuesday, the Philippines has reported 47,873 cases of COVID-19, with 1,309 deaths and 12,386 recoveries.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/07/07/20/philippines-coronavirus-cases-soar-to-47873">Philippines&#x27; coronavirus cases soar to 47,873</a></li></ul>

<p>Journalist Howie Severino was apprehended Wednesday after he momentarily pulled down his mask for a drink in Quezon City, a photojournalist said.</p>

Journalist Howie Severino was apprehended Wednesday after he momentarily pulled down his mask for a drink in Quezon City, a photojournalist said.