QUEZON City, Philippines (Eagle News) – Top executives of Unilever and Close-Up, including security and event organizers of the May 2016 “Close-Up Summer Concert” have been charged before the Department of Justice for criminal negligence for failing to ensure the safety of concert goers, five of whom died due to drugs.
The charges were filed by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), together with the families of some of the victims who died in the controversial concert where designer drugs, known as methylenedioxymethamphetamine or MDMA methylene homog and methylenedixy cathinone, were said to be rampantly circulating.
This is said to be a new breed of drugs that are dangerous but not illegal. They are not included in the list of prohibited drugs under the Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
The incident took place at the Mall of Asia Arena parking lot in Pasay City. The party attendees Ariel D. Leal, 22; Lance F. Garcia, 36; Ken Miyagawa, 18; Bianca Fontejon, 18; and Eric Anthony Miller, 33, an American citizen, were found unconscious in the early hours of May 22, 2016. and later pronounced dead.
The family members of Fontejon, Miyagawa and Leal sought the intervention of the NBI to probe the incident.
Upon examination, the victims were found to have “dangerous drugs metabolites”
The complaint for criminal negligence and violation of the Corporation Code were filed against Rohit Jawa, Unilever Philippines Chairman and CEO and currently the Executive Vice President-Operations South East Asia; Jesus M. Canlapan, Unilever Philippines Manager for Workplace Services and Facility Security; Alberto Curnelius Trinidad, Unilever’s Marketing Director for Close-Up; Joy Dalanon-Ocampo, Country Manager for Safety, Health and Environment; Procurement manager Melissa Alcayaga; Close-Up Assistant Brand Manager Bea Lagdameo.
The others named in the complaint are Michelle Suzanne Claire Quintana, Anna Kristina Doctolero, Baby Majalia Ahamadul, Senior accounts manager of Activation Advertising Inc., Reginald Soriano, Eduardo Muego, John Paul Demontano, the owner and President of HypeHouse Production Corporation and Alexis Engelberto Aragon, owner of Delirium Manpower Services.
