Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 5) — The Department of Tourism on Wednesday suspended the accreditation of Berjaya Makati Hotel for its failure to stop a returning Filipino from skipping the mandatory quarantine in the facility.
The DOT said it also revoked Berjaya’s permit as a multiple-use hotel and imposed a fine “equivalent to twice the rack rate of its most expensive room.”
The DOT said Berjaya admitted that based on their security camera footage, the hotel staff did not attempt to stop Gwyneth Anne Chua from leaving nor called the authorities to report the quarantine breach.
“The statements made by the hotel management and its public apology were ‘an admission of, not just the facts of the incident, but as well as their lapses in their responsibility,’” the DOT added.
The hotel is given 15 days to appeal the decision of DOT.
Chua, who arrived in the Philippines on Dec. 22 from the United States, skipped her five-day quarantine in Berjaya Makati Hotel 15 minutes after checking in. She partied in Poblacion, Makati City the same night. She later tested positive for COVID-19 and infected at least seven of her close contacts.
The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group filed charges against Chua, her parents, personnel of Berjaya, and others for violating health protocols.
Berjaya is only one of the hotels reportedly involved in absentee quarantine scheme, according to Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat.
