Garganera warns establishments: Comply with health protocols or else…

A photo screen captured during the Oplan Bulabog conducted by the Cebu City Police Office past 12:00 midnight on Sunday, June 20, 2021.

Cebu City, Philippines–Cebu City Emergency Operations Center (EOC) deputy chief implementer Joel Garganera is warning establishments here that that they will re-impose the liquor ban should they continue defying minimum health protocols.

Garganera made the statement a day after another resto bar in Barangay Luz was rounded up by police  for reportedly not complying the minimum health protocols and violating curfew hours.

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

He said they will not hesitate to endorse to the Office of the Mayor to reimpose the liquor ban if the establishments will continue to defy the protocols.

“If they don’t do what’s supposed to be done and these bars become areas of transmission, then we won’t hesitate endorsing to the Office of the Mayor to i-reimpose the liquor ban,” Garganera said.

Mayor Edgardo Labella, who is on leave due to health reasons, already warned establishments before after a resto-bar in Barangay Kasambagan was caught violating the social distancing protocol.

READ: Labella warns of another liquor ban if establishments don’t behave

According to Gaganera, they have been monitoring the said establishment, located at the 22nd floor of a building in Barangay Luz.

“What’s difficult with this bar is that it is in the roof deck. A lot already report this bar to the police but they have a hard time catching violators because when they arrive, there’s nobody there anymore. So it turns out they have an exit area, and once the police are gone, they return. In other words, they are playing  us, they are making us look stupid ba,” said Garganera.

Business Permit and Licensing Office (BPLO) head, lawyer Jared Limquiaco, for his part, said they have issued the revocation of establishment’s special permit to serve liquor, as well as show-cause order to the erring bar.

Limquiaco said the resto bar violated the maximum capacity of 100 persons and curfew hours, as they served liquors and operated beyond 11 p.m., which is the start of the curfew in Cebu City.

“We temporarily suspended their special permit pending the investigation…They can serve food but of course not alcoholic beverages,” Limquiaco said.

Should the said establishment continue to serve liquors despite the revocation of the special permit and pending the investigation, Limquiaco warned them that they will revoke their business permit since this will be a danger to the community.

Higher fine

A total of 122 individuals from the bar were brought to the holding facility in Cogon Ramos Barangay Gym after the inspection.

Garganera said they were released as early as 4 a.m., since there might be overcrowding in the holding facility, considering that there were also other individuals caught from other areas in the facility.

He clarified that they were released upon payment of a corresponding fine of P500 each.

Limquiaco and Garganera are both eying to impose a higher fine of P1,000 for those who will be caught violating health protocols inside a bar or restaurant.

“Actually we have an existing ordinance that the fine is P1,000. Those who will be caught inside the bar, it will be P1,000. But those caught not wearing masksand violating curfew outside the bars and restaurants,  we can do with P500. But if you go  to barsthat means you have money to spend. So we will weigh in on this, we would make some adjustments because anyway, we’re not violating anything. We have an existing ordinance,” said Garganera.

Limquiaco disclosed that a total of 15 establishments were already issued show-cause orders, six of which violated social distancing and others had no special permits.

Garganera also clarified that it does not mean that if an establishment is owned by a private individual, it is not considered a public place.

“All establishments are owned privately, but if you engage into a restaurant and bar, they are considered public already because anybody can access.  They just cannot just change the rules and decide if it is private or not. If that’s the case, then close it. Just hold private gatherings, but just the same, still governed by us,” said Garganera.

/bmjo