‘Don’t call it a party’: Tim Yap says videos don’t show whole story

Events organizer Tim Yap on Wednesday defended his controversial birthday party in Baguio City earlier this month, saying that videos of the event do not tell the whole story.

According to Saleema Refran’s “24 Oras” report, the videos showed Yap and several others dancing sans face masks and social distancing in The Manor hotel on January 17.

“Please don’t call it a party. It was a dinner and the event was to promote existing tourist destinations that were recently reopened,” Yap said.

“In fact, the video you see [us] dancing was only a few minutes snapshot versus three to four days of responsible touring of Baguio to promote local artists and businesses that were finally reopened for tourists after almost a year of no business,” he added.

Last year, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said that then-Metro Manila police chief Debold Sinas's own birthday "mañanita" should not be called a party, even though it also had guests gathering during a lockdown.

Yap also lamented that the videos have put his efforts to promote tourism “in a bad light.”

Mass gatherings remain prohibited under the current guidelines due to the pandemic and the threat of a more transmissible coronavirus variant, which was recently detected in the Cordillera region. 

Among the event's attendees were Baguio Mayor Benjamin Magalong and his wife.

The mayor admitted that health protocols were violated but vowed to exact accountability.

“Pati ‘yung wife ko ifa-fine ko. Gano’n lang ‘yun. Gano’n din ‘yung grupo ni Tim Yap, we will fine them,” he said.

The Manor has been given 72 hours to explain why it allowed the event to take place.

GMA News has reached out to the hotel for comment on the matter. — Julia Mari Ornedo/BM, GMA News