The Makati City local government said it is set to file a complaint against Berjaya Hotel where a returning Filipino traveler from the United States identified by the police as Gwyneth Anne Chua, allegedly skipped quarantine procedures and was later found to be COVID-19 positive.
In an interview with ANC, Makati City Mayor Abby Binay said that the local government unit (LGU) will file raps against the hotel, but maintained that it will focus more on the tracing of Chua's close contacts, especially after infecting 11 other people after partying and visiting several restaurants in Makati, earning for her the monicker "Poblacion Girl.”
“The city is more focused on the number of patients that got infected. That's really more of our concern rather than, you know, the prosecution can come after. It's not going to go anywhere. It is not like it's an immediate concern,” Binay said.
“There are several options that we can do. We can suspend their business permit. The Department of Tourism (DOT) can come up with a recommendation as well,” she added.
Binay said that all hotels and motels being used as quarantine facilities must adhere to the quarantine protocols mandated by the national government to prevent such cases.
“I don’t have the manpower just to check if all of them are complying. I think, at the end of the day, it's really self discipline. You self-regulate. You have to follow the rules. You can't expect the government to keep on checking if you are following the rules,” the mayor said.
Meanwhile, in a statement released on Jan. 1, Berjaya Hotel apologized for the incident and assured that any employee involved in skipping quarantine protocols will be dealt with.
The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and Bureau of Quarantine are preparing their own charges against Chua.