Tips from netizens + Oplan Bulabog = 122 violators caught from high class bar in Cebu City

Some 112 individuals were caught violating health protocols and the curfew during the Oplan Bulabog conducted by the Cebu City Police Office at past 12:00 midnight this Sunday, June 20, against a high class bar in Barangay Luz in Cebu City. | screen shot of the Oplan Bulabog

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Police have attributed netizens for the tips or for informing them about the  operations of a high class bar in Barangay Luz in Cebu City that led to Sunday’s (June 20) “Oplan Bulabog” operation where at least 100 people were caught violating health protocols and staying well beyond curfew hours.

Ang (netizens’) report nga magsigeg tawag sa office ni CD [police city director] kay kini nga bar permi ni mag open until 3:00 a.m. unya grabe sila og dawat og customers, wala nag follow sa capacity, puno gyud,” said Police Lieutenant Colonel Randy Caballes, Cebu City Police Office City Intelligence Unit (CCPO-CIU) in a phone interview with CDN Digital.

(The [netizens’] report that we receive at the office concerns this bar that always operates until 3:00 a.m. while disregarding the capacity intended for them, it is always full.)

Caballes said that we then monitored the high class bar which is located at the 22nd floor of a building in Barangay Luz and then conducted the “Oplan Bulabog” or surprise inspection at past 12 a.m. today, Sunday, June 20.

Caballes added that this bar usually caters to high-class people who need to book first before going into the area.

“By booking, dili ta maka sulod og dili ta maka book. Mostly kay mga VIP makasulod lang. Ang kini nga bar pang social kumbaga, dugay na nga nag operate,” Caballes said.

(They operate by booking, we cannot enter the area when we will not book ahead. Most of their customers are Very Important Persons (VIPs). This seems intended for those social class and is already operating even before the pandemic.)

He said that when they reached the area at about 12:15 a.m., they caught these customers violating the social distancing and that some were not wearing their face masks at that time.

READ: Authorities round up curfew, health protocol violators in Cebu City

As of this posting, the CCPO is making their report about the incident and forwarding it to the Cebu City Business Processing and Licensing Office for the issuance of proper order. 

Caballes said that it would be up to the BPLO to decide on what proper consequence the owner of the establishment would face. 

However, he clarified that the entire establishment would not be liable for the violations committed by the bar owner who was only renting at the building.

Raquel Arce, the head of Cebu City PROBE, was with the personnel of CCPO led by Police Colonel Josefino Ligan, when they conducted the surprise inspection at the high class bar. 

Arce said that the establishment owners violated health protocols and failed to follow the curfew in Cebu City. 

The customers, who were caught violating these protocols, were brought to the holding facility of PROBE in Barangay Cogon Ramos, Cebu City.

Caballes, for his part, said that he hoped that the community such as netizens would continue to help or give tips to police and help them catch these health protocol violators.

He assured that they would act on these tips or reports from the community.

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