The prosecutor’s office of Makati ordered the release of 113 bar-goers who were arrested for allegedly violating quarantine protocols at Skye Bar in Salcedo Village in the city.
According to Makati police chief Col. Oscar Jacildo, their station already received the release order after the prosecutor’s office dismissed one of the complaints against the arrested individuals.
“Hindi daw namin nasubstantiate yung mga kaso na sinampa namin. Yung city ordinance walang defined na penalty,” Jacildo said in a text message when asked about the prosecutor’s office release order.
(They said we did not substantiate the case that we filed, which is the city ordinance which had no defined penalty.)
Makati Mayor Abby Binay signed Executive Order 11, which implements general community quarantine guidelines in the city.
Jacildo added the prosecutor’s office would investigate further the other case filed against the quarantine violators, which is Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act.
“Ayoko mangyari sa Makati yung another Cebu experience. At least we reminded them that they cannot do what they want,” he said.
(I don’t want Makati to experience what happened in Cebu. At least we reminded them that they could not do what they want.)
Authorities on Monday raided Skye Bar located in the posh Salcedo Village and arrested over 100 Filipinos and foreigners, including celebrity KC Montero, for violating social distancing rules. The Makati Police also detained the bar’s owner Felix Maramba.
Montero, however, insisted that they observed social distancing inside the bar and restaurant.
“I think para sa mga tao na papunta diyan [those who want to go there], I think what they thought was it was open. So you’re allowed to go. And on top of that everybody was practicing social distancing. The tables were wide apart, were far apart,” he told reporters.
Meanwhile, Makati City Mayor Abby Binay ordered Skye Bar in Barangay Bel-Air to stop operations for violating quarantine protocols.
“On the orders of Mayor Abby Binay, we have closed down Skye Bar in Barangay Bel-Air for illegally operating and violating laws and protocols aimed to stop the spread of COVID-19,” Makati City government spokesperson Michael Camiña said in a statement on Tuesday, June 30.