‘Poblacion Girl’ Pleads Guilty, Fined P20,000

Gwyneth Anne Chua, also known as “Poblacion girl,” pleaded guilty to skipping quarantine protocols upon her arrival from the United States in December last year.

Assistant Makati Prosecutor Rafael Esguerra ordered Chua to pay P20,000 fine after she pleaded guilty to violating Republic Act No. 11332 or the Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act on Monday, Sept. 5.

“She apologized for the hassle she caused,” Esguerra said.

Chua breached COVID protocols after arriving from the United States in December 2021. She left her isolation room to meet and party with her friends in Poblacion, Makati and later tested positive for the virus.

Esteban Gatbonton, a security guard of Berjaya Hotel who reportedly helped Chua escape from the quarantine facility, pleaded not guilty.

Chua was with her parents and lawyer during the arraignment.

Her parents, Allan and Gemma, as well as boyfriend Rico Atienza were initially included in the complaint. The prosecutor’s office dismissed the charges filed against them for lack of evidence.

Police filed a complaint against them after Chua’s father picked her up from the hotel on Dec. 22, 2021, the same day she arrived from the US. Her mother brought her back to the hotel on Dec. 25.

Police said Chua infected at least a dozen people when she skipped COVID-19 protocols.