Mayor closes restobar for a night due to noise

Mayor Tomas Osmeña has closed a restobar in Mango Square Mall the other night after he confirmed that the establishment was playing loud music that he described as “public nuisance.”

The mayor however clarified that he only stopped the operation of Pump 2 restobar for a night because of a complaint. Some procedures would be undertaken in closing business establishments for good, he said.

“I received a text message at past  3 a.m. so I drove my way to Mango Square. I checked the bar and it was very noisy so I told them it’s enough,” Osmeña said, adding that he did not warn the restobar manager about the closure and just “exercised the public welfare clause.”

Owners of other establishments near Pump 2 restobar, and guests of Hotel del Carmen have complained of the loud music from the restobar.

Osmeña had already earlier instructed hotel owner Joy Cabay to text him even at the wee hours of the morning when the music from the restobar gets too noisy and disturbs the hotel guests.

He also advised the public to complain and inform him if there are other bars that are creating public nuisance, but he clarified that complaints be sent to him at night so he can go there and warn the owners immediately.

He said that, yesterday morning, a foreigner called him up to complain about the loud music in Mango Square. He advised the complainant to call him again in the night saying: “It’s hard for me to follow up the next day when no one is there.”

Osmeña said last Monday he also received a complaint against another restobar located in Paseo in Mabolo. He, however, was not able to act on it because he was in Manila at the time but, by Saturday, he still went to the area to check and did not hear the noise anymore.

The city’s Ordinance No. 1705, the amended Anti-Noise Ordinance of Cebu City in 1960, makes it unlawful for any person to cause willfully loud and deafening blast of motor vehicles, machines, bands in amusement places or any other noise between 7 p.m. to 5 a.m.

Benefit dances and caroling during Christmas season are however authorized by the city mayor. – Wenna A. Berondo/RAE