THE National Task Force Against COVID-19 has been urged to sanction Alabang Country Club and Club 515 for hosting and organizing a tournament while Metro Manila was under general community quarantine (GCQ).
An IATF panel composed of the Games and Amusements Board (GAB) and the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) has turned over its findings on the event held last Aug. 28-29 to the Task Force, which is designated to hand out a decision.
GAB chairman Abraham Mitra said based on the details gathered by the panel, Club 515 hosted an intra-club tournament at the Alabang Country Club in the final weekend of August in violation of a ban on sports events.
“Our group has forwarded it to the IATF already, and the National Task Force was already given instructions to implement the decision. I am not at liberty to disclose it,” said Mitra in a statement.
Just last Wednesday, Cavite Gov. Juanito Victor ‘Jonvic’ Remulla ordered the indefinite closure of the Sherwood Golf and Country Club in Trece, Martires City for holding an unauthorized tournament.
As pre General Guidelines No. 3 of the Joint Administrative Order No. 2020-0001, non-professional sporting events such as tournaments, competitive events, and athletic meets shall not be permitted on certain quarantine levels.
PSC chairman William ‘Butch’ Ramirez said sanctions are likely to be handed out for those found guilty of violating the IATF protocols.
“The JAO group has finished its investigation and has submitted its findings to the IATF through the Department of Health (DoH). We hope that those found to have violated the guidelines be sanctioned,” he said.
Added Mitra: “At this time of the pandemic, we are governed by rules that are made to make us all safe. We urge everyone to abide by it.”
Initially, the PSC wrote a letter to Alabang Country Club president Gil Balaguer requesting information on the tournament.
Balaguer and Alabang chairman Homer B. Perez responded by saying an investigation on the issue was being made by a special committee. But it has yet to submit its findings to the IATF panel.