Cops identify 12 pool partygoers

By Jennifer P. Rendon

Police in Iloilo City have identified 12 persons who allegedly participated in a controversial pool party event amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Police Major Francisco Paguia, Iloilo City Police Station (ICPS) 1 chief, said they already submitted the names of the identity partygoers to the Iloilo City Legal Office (CLO) since the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) has no citation ticket to issue against the 12 individuals for allegedly violating quarantine rules.

The CLO is expected to make a report on the information given by ICPS1.

Paguia said netizens were a big help in identifying the partygoers.

“They provided us with initial information. From there, we made a check and later arrived in knowing their identities,” he said.

Based on the ICPS1’s information, most of the partygoers cannot be considered as “rich kids” or “anak-mayaman.”

The persons who participated in the pool party could be fined P500 cited for violating Regulation Ordinance No. 2020-066 (An Ordinance Implementing Physical Distancing as a Response Measure to Prevent the spread and/or local transmission of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Acute Respiratory Disease or COVID-19 In Iloilo City).

Last week, Paguia said investigators are actively “hunting” the group that joined the Wanderpool Bar party event on June 6, 2020.

Whether or not the partygoers were rich is of no moment for the police.

“But that’s beside the point. There was a violation of an ordinance and they must be held answerable to that,” he said.

Paguia said the bar owner, a certain Carol Sanchez, refused to identify the persons who showed up at “by invitation” celebration that took place in The Castle Hotel in Bonifacio Drive, City Proper, Iloilo City.

Paguia said it might be a long shot to pursue a case for violation of Republic Act 11332 (Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act).