Cebu resort faces parallel DOJ probe into possible violation of PWD law
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Justice will also look into an incident at a resort in Mactan, Cebu involving a child with special needs and the reported poor handling of a complaint about it by the child's mother.
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra told reporters that the DOJ will conduct a probe into the incident after Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat sent his office a letter about it.
She earlier said the tourism department will coordinate with the DOJ for proper action under disability laws.
“The DOJ will act accordingly,” Guevarra said.
He added: "As chief enforcer of the Magna Carta for Disabled Persons, the DOJ will conduct a parallel investigation of the Plantation Bay incident."
Plantation Bay Resort and Spa’s resident shareholder Manny Gonzales drew flak after he shamed a parent for the behavior of her child with autism.
In a review on travel website Trip Advisor, Mai Pages said the resort’s lifeguards called her and her son out at one of the resort's pools after her child began “squealing with delight.”
Gonzalez, in a now-deleted response, accused Pages of lying, claiming that “uncontrolled shouting is not a symptom of autism.”
The incident triggered discourse online about the lack of disability sensitivity in establishments in the Philippines, and the resort was largely panned by autism advocates. All this came as the nation celebrated National Human Rights Consciousness Week, and days after the commemoration of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities for 2020.
NBI may be called in for probe
Guevarra said they may tap the National Bureau of Investigation to conduct the probe, but added that the DOJ has yet to determine “the most expedient way to handle the situation.”
“Our action in this regard may set a precedent for similar situations in the future,” he added.
Gonzalez has since issued a second apology for the incident, but not before highlighting that the hotel's policy of "keeping noise levels down in the pool" was geared towards the safety and relaxation for all guests.
"We try to apply this policy even-handedly. As a result of that policy, in almost 25 years we have never had a child die here. A mother's pride is important, but more important are the lives of the children who come here," he wrote. — Kristine Joy Patag with reports from Franco Luna
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