The second overseas Filipina who was reported to have skipped her mandatory quarantine did not actually appear at a Makati hotel where she was supposed to stay, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año confirmed on Tuesday, Jan 4.
In an interview over ABS-CBN, Año said the traveler was supposed to proceed and stay at the Seda Residences in Makati City after arriving in the country on Dec. 22 but instead had someone pick her up at the hotel.
“Pero instead na mag-check-in doon, nagpahatid lang doon siya sa hotel, I mean sa Seda pero meron na palang nag-aabang na sasakyan doon at diniretso siya doon sa kanyang condo dito sa BGC (Bonifacio Global City) (But instead of checking in there (Seda Residences), she had somebody take her to the hotel I mean sa Seda but a vehicle waiting transported directly to her condo at the BGC),’’ Año narrated.
The DILG chief stressed that the Filipina traveler even claimed to have an exemption issued by the Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ) which the agency has refuted.
He noted that Filipina traveler had no BOQ exemption adding that all throughout she never showed up in the quarantine hotel but instead had the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) swab test taken in her condo.
Año stated that what was worse, the said traveler even had the gall to post and brag on social media about being exempted from the mandatory quarantine.
“So ito ay iimbestigahan natin at hindi natin papayagan ang mga ganitong pangyayari (we will investigate this and we will not allow these sort of incidents),’’ he added.
Año commended the Seda Residences management for reporting the incident to the DILG and BOQ and for acting on the matter appropriately.
He stressed that all the hotel management should report these kinds of incidents to the proper authorities. (Chito A. Chavez)