PNP eyeing to file criminal case vs chairman of barangay where Caloocan resort is located
The chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) on Monday said they are eyeing filing a criminal case against the chairman of Barangay Bagumbong in Caloocan City if it is found he is responsible for operating a resort which was alegedly caught violating Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) guidelines.
In a press briefing, General Guillermo Eleazar said the Caloocan City Police Station will investigate over the reported health and quarantine violation by Gubat sa Ciudad Resort management.
Photos, which went viral, showed lots of people swimming in the Gubat sa Cuidad on Sunday. Only resorts in areas under general community quarantine can operate. Metro Manila is under modified enhanced community quarantine.
Caloocan City Mayor Oscar Malapitan revoked the resort's business
permit of the resort after photos circulated in social media.
"Caloocan City Police Station will investigate that and they can handle that since it's a very simple violation. What they have to do is to summon all of the concerned and to check the information received plus there is a lot of evidence that can be gathered so appropriate charges would be filed if evidence warrants against those responsible," Eleazar said.
Eleazar said police will file charges against the owner.
''We are studying if we can file a case against the barangay chairman in the area for violation of Article 208... aside from the administrative cases that would be filed against them by the appropriate authorities," he said.
Eleazar said the barangay official should justify why such incident happened.
"We will see if the barangay chairman will be held liable for what has happened," he added.
Aside from the resort management and the barangay official, Malapitan said they will also file a case against people who went to the resort.
He also ordered for intensified contact tracing, close monitoring and RT-PCR testing on all individuals in the resort.
According to Caloocan City Public Information Office, a commotion also transpired on Sunday after two resort guests mauled a cameraman after they caught him taking videos of the area.
The city PIO said the two suspects are under police custody.
Eleazar said this should serve as a lesson for other establishments to follow the health protocols.
"We are seeking, appealing to the establishments in the different areas to not hold (activities) or prevent this kind of incident... It is prohibited under MECQ that's why there is a violation," he said.
"This should serve a lesson and a warning to all others not just the establishment owners and management but including barangay chairman... We should find a way on how to further prevent the same incident as the one in Gubat sa Ciudad," he added. Ella Dionisio/DMS
