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Cebu resort to face probe over 'discrimination' incident

By Benjamin Pulta

December 11, 2020, 3:31 pm

MANILA – Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Friday said his office would investigate the alleged discrimination against a child with autism at a popular resort in Mactan, Cebu.

“I have received (Tourism) Secretary (Bernadette Romulo-Puyat)’s letter today. The DOJ will act accordingly,” Guevarra said in a message to reporters.

Guevarra said the probe is pursuant to the agency's mandate as the chief enforcer of Republic Act 7277 or the Magna Carta for Disabled Persons, adding that he may ask the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to look into the incident.

“We have 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 said.

The incident involved a negative review posted by a guest at the Plantation Bay Resort and Spa identified as Mai Pages on the popular travel website TripAdvisor where she said they were called out by two lifeguards after her child repeatedly shouted in glee while playing in the water.

In response to the review, a certain Manny Gonzalez who claimed to be a resident shareholder of the resort claimed that being noisy is not part of known behavior by children with autism and defended the lifeguards' actions.

He claimed that the noise from the child would have prevented the lifeguards to hear any legitimate cry for help from other people using the pool.

Gonzalez's response to Pages drew flak from netizens and some government officials and has since been taken down from Tripadvisor. (PNA)

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