Second traveler who skipped quarantine a ‘no-show’ at hotel –Año

The second Overseas Filipina who skipped the government’s mandatory quarantine was a “no-show” at her quarantine hotel in Makati, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said on Tuesday.

Año said the traveler arrived in the country last December 22 and was supposed to stay for her quarantine at the Seda Residences in Makati.

“Pero instead na mag-check-in doon, nagpahatid lang doon siya sa hotel, I mean sa Seda pero meron na palang nag-aabang na sasakyan doon at diniretso siya doon sa kanyang condo dito sa BGC (Bonifacio Global City)," Año explained in a radio interview.

(However, instead of checking in, she just had herself taken to the hotel, I mean to Seda. But there was a car waiting there and she then taken to her condo here in BGC.)

“So no-show siya dito sa ano, sa Seda at kine-claim niya na meron siyang BOQ (Bureau of Quarantine) exemption for quarantine, which the BOQ denied. Wala naman siyang quarantine exemption, at saka all throughout, hindi na talaga siya nagpakita doon sa kanyang quarantine hotel, but instead doon pa siya nagpaswab sa kanyang condo,” he said.

(So was a no-show here in Seda and she claimed that she had a Bureau of Quarantine exemption, which the BOQ denied. She did not have a quarantine exemption, and throughout, she did not show up at her quarantine hotel, but instead, she took her swab test at her condo.)

Año said the traveler was also posting and bragging on social media that she was exempted from the mandatory quarantine.

“At ang masaklap dito ano, pino-post pa niya, pinagyayabang pa niya na ang kanyang quarantine ay isang araw lang at actually wala na nga kasi exempted daw siya. So ito ay iimbestigahan natin at hindi natin papayagan ang mga ganitong pangyayari,” he added.

(And what's worse, she even posted and bragged that her quarantine was only for one day. So we will investigate this and we will not allow these kinds of incidents.)

Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat earlier revealed that there was a second Filipina who skipped the government’s mandatory quarantine after the first reported incident of a returning Filipino woman from the US who attended a party in Poblacion, Makati City while she was supposed to be in isolation.

Puyat said the Tourism Department immediately reported the matter to the BOQ and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

Meanwhile, Año said that quarantine hotels should report any travelers who do not show up for their mandatory quarantine in their respective facilities.

“Sa ngayon, required or mandated ang ating mga hotel na magre-report kung ano yung kapag ka nag-check-in ay i-report din nila, at lalo na ito, no-show ito,” he said.

(Right now, our hotels are required or mandated to report if the travelers have already checked in, and especially those who are a no-show.)

He also lauded the Seda Residences for reporting the matter to the BOQ and the DILG.

Last week, the DOT confirmed a report of a returning overseas Filipino woman from the United States who skipped her quarantine at a hotel and even attended a party in Makati, with fellow attendees later testing positive for COVID-19.

The BOQ said a complaint was “ready” against the woman.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III earlier vowed that those who breached quarantine protocols would be held accountable. — DVM, GMA News