Close 13 stores, warehouses of Vic Enterprises — Tom O.

Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña

For violating environmental and traffic regulations, Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña has ordered closed a total of 13 stores and warehouses owned by Vic Enterprises that are operating in Barangay Mabolo.

A copy of the closure order was sent to the store on Tuesday and was received by its employee, Josephine Cayacap.
Management was given 24-hours to voluntarily close their establishments.

Raquel Arce, head of the Prevention, Restoration, Order, Beautification, Enhancement (Probe), said management already closed some of their stores as of Wednesday.

“Diha nay padlock ang mga tindahan, naay mga bodega nga open pa pero empty na. So ang ato siguro tomorrow magbutang nalang ta sa mga notices nga this establishment has been declared closed,” she said.

Personnel from the City Legal Office and PROBE are scheduled to visit Vic Enterprises stores and warehouses starting at 10 a.m. today to start to padlock their establishments that have remained open in defiance of the City Hall order.

“Vic Enterprises is scheduled to be closed. Correcting a deficiency does not erase the crime. Many of their warehouses, up to now, does not have any permit so the intent to defraud the government is very clear,” Mayor Tomas Osmeña said during his press conference on Wednesday afternoon.

“Some people think, it’s good enough to forgive. That’s not good management policy. If were going to forgive, we have to refund all those who paid taxes (and who were inconvenienced by their operation),” the mayor added.

Osmeña said the cancellation of their business permit will follow soon.

“If Vic enterprises’ business permits will be canceled, and believe me, it will be, they can’t deliver to any customer in Cebu City from Naga or Mandaue, we will confiscate that,” the mayor said.

“Let this serve as a warning to all those who are buying from Vic Enterprises. Any deliveries to your construction sites that comes from Vic Enterprises is subject for seizure, including the trucks,” he added.

However, the closure order said that the issuance of the closure order will not prejudice their application for a new business permit to operate in another part of the city that is “more suitable” for their business operations.

Cebu Daily News has been trying to reach the management of Vic Enterprises through their company’s mobile number, but the calls made remained unanswered.

Show cause order

Two weeks ago, City Hall issued a show cause order asking Vic Enterprises to justify why they should not cease their operations along F. Gochan

Street and M.J. Cuenco Avenue in Barangay Mabolo.

“This is to inform you that after thorough review and evaluation of your Reply to the Show Cause Order, this office finds the same wanting of any valid justification to warrant the continued operations of your business establishment within the abovementioned locality,” said the two-page closure order dated December 19, 2017.

It added that while a business permit was issued to Vic Enterprises, such a permit can still be revoked for failure to comply with zoning, health, fire, building and other regulatory requirements provided in the Revised Charter of the City of Cebu and the Local Government Code of 1991.

Osmeña said he gave weight to reports rendered by the Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) and the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (Cenro) and complaints which private individuals posted on Facebook in the issuance of the closure order.

In a report dated November 6, 2017, CCTO listed a total of 85 trucks operated by Vic Enterprises that were cited for different violations which resulted in the payment of P55, 500 in fines.

A Cenro report dated November 13, 2017 said that roads located within the premises of their warehouses becomes very muddy when it rains and dusty when it is sunny.

“Foregoing premises considered and in the interest of public safety and welfare your business establishments are hereby ordered closed without prejudice to the filing of appropriate civil, criminal and/or administrative charges against the persons responsible for these violations,” the order added.

The issuance of the closure order “is without prejudice to any other violation/s of your business establishments which may be found or discovered in the course of investigation by any of the officials or employees of the appropriate authorities/agencies.”