The Department of Justice on Friday vowed to investigate the alleged discrimination against the mother of an autistic child in a Cebu resort.
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said the DOJ will conduct its own probe parallel to that of the Department of Tourism considering it may set a precedent for similar situations in the future.
The case arose from the Trip Advisor review of Mai Pages, the mother of a six-year-old child with autism. She said they were told off by the lifeguards of Plantation Bay Resort and Spa when her son made squealing sounds, which she said signaled that he was excited or happy, when they went to the water.
Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat earlier said they had launched an investigation into the incident and vowed to “mete the proper administrative sanctions to the resort” after due notice and hearing.
“As chief enforcer of the magna carta for disabled persons, the DOJ will conduct a parallel investigation of the Plantation Bay incident,” Guevarra said.
He said he was not discounting the possibility of tapping the National Bureau of Investigation to investigate the incident, but they were still determining the most expedient way to handle the situation.
“Our action in this regard may set a precedent for similar situations in the future,” Guevarra said in a text message to reporters.
The management of Plantation Bay Resort and Spa justified the action, saying it had strict rules against noisy guests.
But the resort drew flak after its resident stakeholder, Manny Gonzales, accused the mother of lying. He later apologized.
The Autism Society of the Philippines demanded more sanctions against the resort instead of merely accepting its apology.
“Apologies are important. Action, more so. This 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 group said.