Beauty Queen Maria Gigante and her foreign national boyfriend, were arrested by Moalboal Police, after they were caught swimming in one of the town’s beaches on Sunday, May 10, 2020. | Contributed Photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Additional charges for falsification of documents will be filed against Cebuana beauty queen Maria Gigante and her Spanish boyfriend, Javier Filosa Castro.
Gigante, 26, and her boyfriend Castro, 35, remain detained in an isolation center in Moalboal town, southwestern Cebu as of this posting.
Both were arrested on Sunday afternoon, May 10, 2020, for defying the prohibition against swimming on the beach while on enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) and violating the liquor ban as they were also found by Moalboal police drinking beer while enjoying the beach in Barangay Basdiot.
Both have already been charged this morning, May 12, 2020, for disobedience to a person in authority in relation to Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia’s Executive Order on the ECQ.
Read: Cebuana beauty queen, boyfriend jailed for disregard of ECQ
Read: Maria Gigante, Spanish bf face disobedience, ECQ violation charges
Falsification of documents charges will also be added after the Patrol Partylist denied having issued a certification to Castro to conduct distribution of relief goods amid the coronavirus disease threat.
The certification was allegedly used by Castro and Gigante to get past Quarantine Control Points (QCPs) in different towns en route to Moalboal, which is approximately 86 kilometers southwest of Cebu City.
Police Colonel Roderick Mariano, chief of Cebu Police Provincial Office (CPPO), said Congressman Jorge Bustos, representative of the Patrol partylist, denied that Castro was even a member of their partylist.
In an interview with the media on Tuesday morning, May 12, 2020, Mariano said that they were able to talk with Bustos, who said that the partylist may also be filing falsification charges for using their documents to get past checkpoints.
“They presented isang fake certification from the Patrol Partylist. It was already denied by the partylist, hindi naman nila tao yun. Pineke yung kanilang pirma and hindi kilala ng partylist yung tao na yun,” said Mariano.
(They presented fake certification from the Patrol Partylist. It was already denied by the partylist, he [Castro] wasn’t part of their group. He faked their signatures and the partylist doesn’t recognize that man.)
Another investigation is also being conducted to trace where the certificate came from. It was allegedly sent via email to Castro.
Release order
Meanwhile, Mariano reminded policemen manning checkpoints to be vigilant at all times to avoid another incident like this from happening.
“Sa lahat ng magpapakita ng ganyan [certificates] we have to verify it, lalo na kung saan ito galing,” said Mariano.
(All who will be showing certificates like that, we have to verify it, and find out especially where it came from.)
Police Alvin Enguito, chief of Moalboal Police station, said they are now waiting for the release order from the municipal court so Castro and Gigante could be released on bail.
Enguito said that the bail for the violations were set at P3,000 each.
However, Enguito said that they will also wait for further instructions from Mariano on the next steps to take once charges of falsification of documents will be filed.
Enguito said that some friends of Gigante from the town have visited her since Monday night, bringing with them some food.
The vehicle used by Castro and Gigante, which had a sticker bearing the seal of the house of representatives, is currently being held at the station.
CDN Digital tried but failed to get comments from Gigante about the issue. /bmjo