Philippine National Police (PNP) chief General Guillermo Eleazar on Monday said police would file charges against the owner, and possibly against the chairman of the barangay, where a resort in Caloocan City was found violating Covid-19 health protocols.
The resort, Gubat sa Ciudad, operated despite the pandemic, with people seen swarming its swimming pool.
“The PNP will really file charges against the owner and also looking at filing a case against the barangay chairman in the area,” Eleazar said. “They have to justify why it happened.” This developed as Secretary Eduardo Año of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Monday directed city and municipal mayors to strictly impose the prohibition or limitation of mass gatherings under the different community quarantine classifications, or face the consequences.
The DILG chief issued the warning as Caloocan City Mayor Oscar Malapitan issued an order immediately shutting down and canceling the permit to operate of a private resort that continue to operate despite existing modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.
The management of Gubat sa Ciudad is also facing possible criminal charges for violating the MECQ rules and Bayanihan Law II.
Videos and photos of over 100 guests of Gubat sa Ciudad on Sunday, Mother’s Day, went viral on social media, prompting Malapitan to order an investigation.
“Local government units [LGUs] have a critical role in enforcing mass gathering regulations as they are nearer to their constituencies compared to the national government. What LCEs [local chief executives] can do is to adopt and implement guidelines and policies of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases [IATF] as well as enact necessary local policies to support these regulations,” Año said in a news statement issued on Monday.
In line with President Duterte’s directive, Año issued DILG Memorandum Circular (MC) 2021-050 reminding mayors that they will be sanctioned if found violating any of the prohibitions contained under the IATF Omnibus Guidelines on the Implementation of Community Quarantine in the Philippines with Amendments as of April 15, 2021.
The said guidelines provide for the prohibitions and limitations on public and mass gatherings.
The DILG chief said that any violation of the prohibitions in the Omnibus Guidelines shall constitute non-cooperation of the person or entities, which is punishable under Section 9 paragraph (d) or (e) of Republic Act 11332 and its implementing rules and regulations (IRR).
Failure on the part of local officials to enforce IATF resolutions may lead to charges filed against them for dereliction of duty based on Article 208 of the Revised Penal Code. Administrative sanctions may likewise be imposed on them under the Local Government Code.
He also reminded all higher local government units to exercise their power of supervision over their component LGUs. The LGU through its Sanggunian, at the instance of a concerned LCE, may hear any complaint for violation, misconduct, and/or dereliction of duty of lower LGU officials and impose sanctions as may be allowed by existing laws against an erring official.
Meanwhile, Año also PNP to strictly enforce all applicable guidelines and policies of the IATF, especially on the prohibition on mass gatherings.
“The PNP should assist LGUs in the enforcement of all policies, laws both national and local, relative to the curtailment of the spread of Covid-19,” he said.
Among the establishments not allowed to operate under the MECQ classification according to the Department of Trade and Industry are:
- Entertainment venues with live performers, cinemas
- Recreational venues such as Internet cafes, and arcades
- Amusement parks
- Outdoor sports courts or venues for contact sports
- Indoor sports courts or venues, gyms, spas, swimming pools, etc.
- Casinos, horse racing, cockfighting and operation of cockpits, lottery and betting shops, and other gaming establishments except for the draws conducted by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office
- Indoor visitor or tourist attractions, libraries, archives, museums, galleries, and cultural shows and exhibits
- Outdoor tourist attractions
- Venues for meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions
- Personal care services which include beauty salons, beauty parlors, medical aesthetic clinics, etc. Homes service of these activities are also not allowed.
Indoor dine-in services
Meanwhile, hotels or accommodation establishments with valid accreditation from the Department of Tourism will be allowed to accept limited number of guests.