Mayor firm on stand to close erring bars

August 26, 2019 Metro BLISTT

BAGUIO CITY – Night establishments recently padlocked by the city will remain closed until they comply with the law and show concern for the city particularly in maintaining peace and order and in protecting the youth.

Mayor Benjamin Magalong bared this in a press briefing on Tuesday, August 20, 2019 after bar owners met with him on three occasions to negotiate their reopening.

The mayor said the establishments belonging to the Baguio Association of Bars and Entertainment Society (BABES) on August 16 presented him a ten-point commitment to be allowed to re-operate but he rejected the same for being “empty and lacking in sincerity.”

“The ball is in their court now so that they have to prove to me how committed they are to abide by the provisions of the law and to protecting our children before we decide if they deserve to be given the chance to reopen their businesses,” the mayor said.

City Permits and Licensing Division under Chief Allan Abayao said that since the start of the new administration, a total of 37 bars had been closed as of August 22.

Nine of the establishments were operating as bars and serving liquor despite having permits as restaurants or coffee shops while the rest were operating without any permit at all.

The mayor said that in their initial meeting, he reprimanded and admonished these establishments for various violations like molestation of women, allowing minors in and even serving liquor to them, operating without permit and circumventing their permits. He said these acts will never be tolerated by his administration.

He challenged those who pressed charges against the city government to pursue the cases to determine who between them and the city is in the right.

The City Legal Office said the city has so far received two suits, one for certificate, prohibition and mandamus, declaration of nullity of closure order and prayer for issuance of a status quo ante order and damages filed by PLP Business Developers Corp. which operated at the Maharlika Livelihood Center; and the other for preliminary injunction with temporary restraining order filed by Ma. Patricia Thompson, operator of Sgt. Pepper club which was recently closed for operating as a bar despite having a permit as a restaurant.

The mayor said the business owners promised to police their own ranks and agreed to a one strike policy where a single violation would be borne by all of them.

However, he told them to spell out said commitments in their manifesto.

Aileen P. Refuerzo, PIO-Baguio/ABN