By Waylon Galvez
For now members of the exclusive Alabang Country Club in Muntinlupa will have to look for other courses to stage a ‘fun golf’.
This is so after Muntinlupa Mayor Jaime Fresnedi ordered Monday the exclusive club to cease and desists from operations and the closure of its golf course in violation of community quarantine protocols and guidelines set by the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases.
The directive, signed by City Administrator and Officer-In-Charge Engr. Allan A. Cachuela on behalf of Fresnedi, was given to club General Manager Carla Maramara on the same day.
Despite the call of no sports events under the General Enhanced Community Quarantine by the government, the golf club hosted an intra-club tournament organized by Club 515 last Aug. 28 and 29.
The matter was investigated by the tripartite government agencies made of the Games and Amusements Board (GAB), the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) and the Department of Health (DOH), which crafted the health guideline for sports activities under the Joint Administrative Order (JAO).
Two weeks ago, JAO forwarded its recommendation to the National Task Force against COVID-19 – the implementing body of the IATF.
Under the General Guidelines No. 3 of the JAO No. 2020-0001, non-professional sporting events such as tournaments, competitive events and athletic meets shall not be permitted on certain quarantine levels.
JAO has likewise gathered information that participants in the 14th PEMCOR Cup, did not wear facemasks during the said tournament though Club 515 denied this in a letter sent to media outlets over the weekend.
The same source said that while the Task Force was supposed to implement the recommendation of JAO for Alabang Country Club to stop operations, the LGU – of the Local Government Unit – has also the power to implement.
“The LGU has the rights, just like Governor Jonvic Remulla did in Cavite,” said the source, who requested anonymity.
A few weeks ago, Sherwood Golf and Country Club in Trece Martires City was ordered to stop operations on orders by Cavite Governor Juanito Victor “Jonvic” Remulla due to a tournament it held.
Sherwood, however, has reportedly reopened.
Aside from the cease and desist order Fresnedi signed, the letter forwarded to Alabang Country Club also included a directive from Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Ano for the former to give the suspension on the operations of the golf course.
