'Poblacion Girl' to be charged criminally for 'defying' mandatory Covid quarantine

Makati City prosecutors have approved the filing of a criminal case against Gwyneth Anne Chua, known online as “Poblacion Girl,” for allegedly defying mandatory quarantine after her arrival from the United States on Dec. 22, 2021.
Also to be charged in court was Esteban Gatbonton, a security guard of the Berjaya Hotel, “for assisting in the escape of Gwyneth from the quarantine facility” of the hotel.
The complaint against Gwyneth’s parents and her boyfriend, Rico Atienza, was dismissed as “there was insufficient evidence to establish that they have violated the provisions of RA 11332,” the Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Concern Act of 2019.
In a statement, the Makati City Office of City Prosecutor (OCP) said that Chua was “seen attending a party with friends in Poblacion, Makati City on Dec. 23, 2021.”
“She tested positive for Covid-19 on Dec. 26, 2021,” it said. Reports stated that some of those who attended the party were also infected with Covid-19.
“In a Resolution dated April 19, 2022, the Makati City Prosecution Office found probable cause to charge Gwyneth Anne Chua with violation of Section 9 of R.A. No. 11332 for defying the directives of the authorities on mandatory quarantine,” it added.
The statement stated that the OCP issued the resolution after conducting a preliminary investigation of the complaint filed by the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) against Chua and her co-respondents for violation of RA 11332.
“As to the other employees of the Berjaya Makati Hotel, the Makati City Prosecution Office did not find probable cause as the evidence failed to show that they knowingly allowed Gwyneth to leave the hotel premises,” it said.