A total of 37 individuals, including YouTube vlogger Toni Fowler, were cited for mass gathering in a meet-and-greet event hosted by the Fowler sisters despite COVID-19 threats in Quezon City on Tuesday.
Rannie Ludovica, head of the city's Task Force Disiplina (TFD), said they launched an operation after barangay authorities of E. Rodriguez reported to them a mass gathering at an establishment on Montreal Street.
For several consecutive days prior to the incident, the Fowler sisters had been endorsing the event on social media. The meet-and-greet was dedicated to the Fowler sisters' online palengke (market) business customers.
"Nagpareserve po kami para sa 50 katao lang maximum, hindi po namin inexpect na dadami po mga tao sa labas (We made a reservation for 50 people only. We didn't expect that we would be swarmed)," Toni said. Not all were cited as some already left the place before TFD personnel arrived in the area.
Toni and her sister Milk apologized for the incident and said they would take responsibility for it.
"Gusto lang po namin mag-explain at manghingi ng public apology at maging pangit na halimbawa para hindi gayahin ng social media artists (I just want to explain and express a public apology. May this serve as a bad example for other social media artists not to follow)," Toni said in a TeleRadyo interview.
"Kung dito po nanggaling (ang infection), of course po, magiging responsible kami sa mga ganoong klase kasi kami po nagpa-event (If this would be the origin of the infection, of course, we would take responsibility for it because we hosted this event)," Milk added.