Chinese nationals arrested in Clark ‘COVID-19 hospital’ walk free from jail

The two Chinese nationals who were arrested in the unlicensed COVID-19 hospital in Fontana Leisure Park, Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga were released on the same day of arrest. 

COVID-19 hospital Chinese Pampanga
Image from GMA News

Police caught Chinese nationals Hu Ling, who was allegedly the facility’s supervisor and Seung Hyun, the supposed pharmacist. 

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Simon Wu, Fontana’s assistant general manager, said the two suspects were “released on the same day of their arrest, with no charges or cases filed against them.”

Wu notified Clark Development Corp. (CDC) about the release of the Chinese nationals without any case filed against them. 

Col. Amante Daro, CIDG chief in Central Luzon, said on Monday (May 25) the suspects were not charged yet because there has a delay in the issuance of a certification from the FDA that will state that medicines recovered from the raided villa and a warehouse were “untested by FDA and hence illegal.”

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The Fontana Villa No. 628 is under the exclusive governance of Shidaikeji Technology Corp. (STC), a “support service company to (a) POGO [Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator],” said Noel Manankil, CDC president and chief executive officer.

STC said Fontana has “absolutely no involvement or participation in our business or villa operations.”

“Because of the crisis, we have been forced to use our villa to respond to our employee’s own needs. However, we are not operating a COVID-19 clinic in the villa,” STC said in a letter to Fontana.

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Also read: 2 Chinese nationals arrested for selling ‘COVID-19 cure’ in Cavite

Clark fake COVID-19 hospital

Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Clark Development Corp. (CDC) raided the villa turned into a makeshift hospital for Chinese COVID-19 patients on May 19. 

The said facility has no permit to operate from the Department of Health or the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases.

Medical waste, such as used syringes, tubes, and open plastic containers, was also found in the scene.

Authorities also found medicines with Chinese labels that believed to be used in the treatment of COVID-19 patients.

Police also found a patient in the illegal facility who had COVID-19 symptoms, causing some members of the operatives to undergo quarantine after they have been exposed to the patient. 

Those arrested are supposed to face violations of the Food and Drug Administration Act of 2009 and the Medical Act of 1958.