Baguio shuts down 37 biz firms for violations

Spurious business permits 

By PNA and Aileen P. Refuerzo

BAGUIO CITY – A total of 37 establishments have been ordered closed by the city government here for violating national laws and local ordinances, including "spurious" business permits, an official said Tuesday.

 “Their business permit is cafe or restaurant or coffee shop but they are serving liquor. Some of them do not even have a business permit,” Mayor Benjamin Magalong told a press conference.

 He said establishments have already been closed for sanitation reasons, violation of business permits, and operating without business permits.

 Since June 30, several establishments have been ordered to cease operations due to sanitation issues, operating beyond the permit issued, safety and security issues, and road and sidewalk encroachment.

 The mayor told around 200 business owners in a meeting recently that those operating beyond the permit issued them would no longer be tolerated.

 Magalong had been going around the different establishments and checked on their operations and sanitation.

 “Some were dishonest. What’s in their business permit? Restaurant but they are operating as bars. Some even circumvent it, nagiging pilosopo pa sila saying ang beer naman is not alcohol, beverage daw 'yun (some are even trying to be  smart aleck, reasoning out that beer is not alcohol but a beverage). Look at the definition of alcohol in the tax code -- beer, wine, distilled spirit,” Magalong said.

Magalong said in a press briefing Aug. 20 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 Aug. 16 presented him a ten-point commitment to be allowed to re-operate but that 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 Aug. 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, first for certiorari, 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 second 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 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.