CALOOCAN City Mayor Oscar Malapitan has ordered the closure of the Gubat sa Ciudad resort that illegally resumed operations amid the pandemic, compromising health protocols on mass gathering and social distancing.
Malapitan, in a radio interview yesterday, said he ordered the closure of the resort in Barangay 171 Bagumbong on Sunday, shortly after he learned that it had opened its gates to scores of people who went swimming on Mother’s Day.
“I was surprised when someone called my attention. I had it checked immediately and they said it’s true,” he said, adding he dispatched personnel from the city’s Business Permit and Licensing Office to close down the resort.
Yesterday afternoon, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año announced that Malapitan had officially revoked the business permit of the resort.
Malapitan said he has also directed the city’s legal office to charge the owners and operators of the resort for violation of Republic Act 11332 (Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act).
Under the modified enhanced community quarantine in effect in Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Rizal and Laguna, resorts are not allowed to operate.
Malapitan said the resort is near the city’s boundary with Bulacan, adding that 90 to 95 percent of its customers are usually from Bulacan and Valenzuela City.
He said the city was able to get a list of customers and contact details of those who went to the resort for contact tracing efforts in relation to the fight against COVID-19.
“The problem is not all people give their correct cellular numbers, they are not giving their true names,” Malapitan said.
In a virtual press briefing, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said they have directed their field personnel to closely monitor the status of the persons that went to the resort last Sunday.
“We have advised our regional office to strictly monitor all of those that attended this gathering in that resort. All of them need to undergo a 14-day quarantine,” Vergeire said.
Año said he has spoken to Malapitan about the incident and the mayor “has done all appropriate actions to check the situation.
“The LGU will file cases against the barangay officials and the concerned violators regarding the Gubat sa Ciudad Resort incident. The business permit has been revoked already and the resort was closed down as of 5 p.m. yesterday,” Año said, adding the PNP is closely coordinating with the Caloocan City government for the conduct of the investigation and subsequent filing of charges against those responsible.
“The PNP summoned, arrested barangay captain Romeo Rivera and brought (him) to Caloocan police station,” Año said, adding “contact tracing and testing are also being conducted to address any possible transmission of the virus.”
Año said the actions taken should serve as reminder to all local government units to follow a recent DILG memorandum calling on local chief executives to implement the policy on mass gathering. The memorandum warns local officials that criminal and administrative charges may be filed against them if they fail to comply with the memorandum.
In a press briefing in Camp Crame, PNP chief Guillermo Eleazar said the Caloocan City police is conducting an investigation on the violation, preparatory to filing of charges against the owners and barangay officials.
“What they have to do is to summon all of the concerned and to check on the information received and other evidence we will gather so that appropriate charges would be filed against those responsible,” Eleazar said.
“The PNP will really file a case against the owners and we are studying if the barangay chairman in the area will also be charged for the violation. When we say we’ll file case, of course we have to investigate first,” added Eleazar. — With Gerard Naval
