Caloocan City filed charges on Thursday against the owner of the resort that was caught violating public health safety protocols, while the barangay chairman was ordered to submit an explanation, Interior Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said.
Malaya said charges against 10 officials of the “Gubat sa Ciudad” were pending before the city prosecutor.
Charged were the president, Rodolfo de Guzman Jr., Aleli Mansano-de Guzman, the general manager, and eight other members of the resort management, for violation of Republic Act 11332 or the “Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act” and City Ordinance 0863 Series of 2021, he said.
Malaya said the resort was closed and its business permit was revoked by the city government.
Barangay Chairman Romeo Rivera of Barangay 171 in District 2 faces charges of gross neglect of duty and acts prejudicial to the best interest of the service, the official said.
Malaya said Interior Undersecretary Martin Diño had issued a show-cause order against Rivera.
“If he (Rivera) doesn’t explain properly, then we will also [file] a case against him in the Office of the Ombudsman,” the undersecretary said in a mix of English and Filipino during the Laging Handa news briefing.
Malaya also said the Philippine National Police had removed Police Maj. Harold Melgar, the substation commander whose jurisdiction covered the shuttered resort. Jamie Louise Jimeno