The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced today that it will investigate the Cebu-based Plantation Bay Resort and Spa after it allegedly discriminated against a child with autism.
“As chief enforcer of the Magna Carta for Disabled Persons, the DOJ will conduct a parallel investigation of the Plantation Bay incident,” Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said in a conversation with the media.
“[W]e 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.
Read: Cebu resort owner lambasted for harsh remark about guest’s special needs child
He added that the DOJ might ask the National Bureau of Investigation to become involved in the probe, which will be conducted upon the request of the Department of Tourism (DOT). The DOT has already started its own investigation, which stemmed from an allegation made by a guest named Mai Pages.
Earlier this week, Pages wrote in a Trip Advisor review that lifeguards at Plantation Bay repeatedly told her to shush her son when the boy was squealing with excitement during their visit. Pages explained to the staff that her son has autism, but later realized that they were being wronged. She vowed that she would never go back to the resort, saying that “[n]o luxury of this proportion can make this experience okay.”
Instead of apologizing, however, Plantation Bay owner Manny Gonzalez wrote a scathing response to Pages’ review, where he accused the guest of possibly lying about her son’s autism. His reply went viral and earned the ire of countless Filipinos online. Gonzalez then issued a public statement where he said that he “deeply regret[s]” what transpired, but insisted that keeping children quiet was necessary to keep them safe.
Meanwhile, the non-profit organization Autism Society of the Philippines said yesterday that the staff at Plantation Bay “can do better.”
“This sad event is an opportunity for disability sensitivity training and a review of the resort’s policies and procedures for compliance with the Magna Carta for Persons with Disability,” the organization said in a statement.
“Even the best-intentioned organizations can always use additional knowledge and improvements in areas they are not properly trained in,” it added.
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