‘Poblacion Girl’ hearing set Feb. 7

MANILA – Prosecutors will hear Monday the complaint filed by law enforcement authorities against Gwyneth Anne Chua, now known as “Poblacion Girl”, after leaving her Makati quarantine hotel to attend a gathering and later on testing positive for Covid-19 in December last year.

Prosecutor Honey Delgado of the Office of the Prosecutor General told reporters via text message on Friday that the preliminary investigation is set February 7 and 14 at 10 a.m.

Chua was charged by the Philippine National Police’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group early last month for violating Republic Act No. 11332, or the Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Concern Act.

Included in the charge sheet were her parents, Allan and Gemma Chua, boyfriend Rico Atienza, and Berjaya Makati Hotel resident manager, Gladiolyn Blala; assistant resident manager, Den Sabayo; security manager, Tito Arboleda; doorman, Esteban Gatbonton; and front desk attendant, Hannah Araneta.

They face fines ranging from PHP20,000 to PHP50,000 or imprisonment between one to six months, or both.

The hotel was served its three-month suspension order on January 6 and fined PHP13,200, the nightly rate of its most expensive room.

Berjaya Makati first protested the suspension as without legal basis but later apologized and appealed that the decision be revoked.

The city government reduced the suspension to two months.

Based on the investigation, Chua checked in at the hotel on Dec. 22, 2021 at 11:23 p.m.; was fetched by her father on the same night at 11:40 p.m.; and returned to the hotel assisted by her mother on December 25 at 9 p.m.

Some of the partygoers and employees in the bar she went to also contracted Covid-19.