MANILA, March 16 (Xinhua) -- Philippine Senate Majority leader Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri announced on Monday that he had tested positive for the COVID-19 disease.

"It is with sadness that I announce that I am positive for COVID-19," Zubiri, 50, said in a Facebook post.

Zubiri said he had a test taken on Friday while on self-quarantine.

"This afternoon I received a call from Health Secretary Francisco Duque on my condition. My heart sank with what he had said but I'm uplifted with the fact that I am asymptomatic and have no fever or cough nor am I weak or have any headaches," he added.

Zubiri was among the lawmakers and Cabinet members who decided to self-isolate last week on suspicion that he may have had contact with a COVID-19 positive person who was invited to a senate hearing.

"I will stay locked in isolation for 10 more days until I get checked once again with hopefully a negative result," Zubiri added.

The Philippines now has 140 confirmed COVID-19 cases, not including the senator, with 12 deaths.