Crackdown on vs Baguio City night establishments

By Aileen P. Refuerzo

BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Mauricio Domogan directed concerned offices here to intensify operations against night establishments selling or serving liquor to minors as a means of curbing juvenile violence.

The mayor cited city police under Chief Insp. Jesus Cambay Jr. for initiating crackdown on night spots admitting and serving liquor to minors after subsequent reports of brawls involving minors were aired over television news programs.

“We have to do something about these incidents which are harming our city’s image as a peaceful tourist spot and educational center,” the mayor said.

The mayor asked city police to sustain operations and to periodically submit reports on result of raids.

He also ordered the filing of appropriate cases against the owners of the erring establishments and non-renewal of their business permits.

The mayor last year reactivated the city’s inter-agency Anti-Vice Task Force in an effort to intensify the campaign against bad indulgences that compromise the behavior of youth and to restore law and order for the benefit of local residents and tourists.

The mayor also ordered the revival of the conduct of regular inspections of night establishments all over the city to ensure that they are complying with ordinances.

In 2009, the city council strengthened the city’s Liquor Code by providing a limit to the hours of operation of liquor-dispensing establishments.

The ordinance prescribed the time of operation for nightclubs, cocktail lounges, beer gardens, bars with dancing, duly accredited tourism-oriented firms, bar, disco pads and cabarets from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. while ordinary beer gardens without dancing, cocktail lounge or bar without dancing, cocktail lounge, folkhouses serving beer only, restaurants with liquor, bar or coffee shops serving beer or liquor and internet cafes should operate from 3 p.m. to 12 noon.

The prescribed time for liquor dealers or retailers which serve liquor not to be consumed within the premises and for liquor stores which sell by the bottle and consumed within the premises was from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Erring owner, operator, proprietor, manager or person in charge of any establishment will be slapped the following sanctions: first offense – a fine of P2,000 with written warning; second offense – a fine of P4,000 with closure of the establishment and revocation of the business permit; and third and subsequent offenses – a fine of P6,000 with permanent closure of the establishment and imprisonment of 15 days upon discretion of the court or 15 days community service.