Manny Gonzalez, the resident shareholder at Plantation Bay Resort and Spa in Mactan, Cebu, who came under fire for his response to a discrimination complaint by a hotel guest, announced that he will be resigning his post effective today, Dec. 15.
He wanted to “protect (the) staff from further indignities, and with sincere apologies for my error of judgment which led to so much trouble to many innocent people,” Gonzalez said in a statement explaining his resignation.
[READ: From misdiagnosing autism to shaming a mother: a PR crisis playbook by Plantation Bay]
Gonzalez’ resignation came a week after his discriminatory remarks towards hotel guest Mai Pages and her son who was diagnosed with autism. In a now-deleted statement on TripAdvisor, the resort official accused Pages of lying about her son’s condition based on a Google search about autism.
As of writing, the resort is being investigated by the Department of Tourism, the Department of Justice and the Commission on Human Rights in Central Visayas.
The announcement about Gonzalez’ resignation added that Plantation Bay’s management will be assessing its current protocols and implementing necessary changes.
Header photo courtesy of Plantation Bay Resort & Spa
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Writer: ANGELA PATRICIA SUACILLO
