Kuerks bar given chance to answer

CEBU, Philippines - A notice to show cause was issued against controversial Kuerks bar by city officials upon the recommendation of City Treasurer’s Office and executed by the City Legal Office.

A notice to show cause is part of the due process giving the violating establishment a chance to air its side and convince the City Government to reverse the initial recommendation of closure.

City Attorney Jerone Castillo revealed they initially tried to serve the notice to show cause Thursday afternoon but failed.

“Our staff members went there yesterday (Thursday) afternoon but there was nobody there to receive the notice. We will try to ask to serve it in the evening through the CTO,” Castillo told reporters.

Castillo added that their second option is to have it sent via registered mail.

Kuerks management is given 72 hours to reply from receipt otherwise, it will be tantamount to waiving their chance to air their concerns. The 72-hour period runs even over the weekend, Castillo added, since the notice did not specify to be only for weekdays.

The notice signed by Castillo noted that the basis for calling their attention to answer the recommended closure due to violations of both anti-noise and anti-liquor ordinances as well as tax delinquency.

As per city treasurer’s records, Kuerks has about 723,000 tax payment due from the amelioration and interest. This is only for the year 2012 since the establishment failed to renew its business permits.

The CTO noted that tax liabilities stemmed from previous owners who failed to pay the city government. Based on records, Kuerks was registered to Richard Aznar. Talisay city Councilor Richard Aznar said his father, bearing the same first name, used to own the establishment but sold it to a businesswoman whose last name he could only remember to be Flores.

The Freeman tried but failed to confirm the tax liabilities with Aznar.

Meanwhile, the family of the 16-year-old boy whom Cebu City south district councilor Gerardo Carillo allegedly injured near Kuerks bar still have not decided on their legal action.

Milagros Pogoy, the victim’s mother and a former councilor of Barangay Ermita, said they will first attend to their son and just later on think of the legal matters on last Sunday dawn’s incident.

“Di na lang ‘sa ta magsalita nang tapos,” she said.

The victim, who underwent a surgical operation in the head, is now stable but is still being closely monitored at the hospital considering the extent of damage he incurred in the head.

Senior Supt. Mariano Natu-el, Jr. said they will just wait for the family’s final decision while they prepare the documents should a complaint is filed against Carillo.

But with the number of days that passed, Natu-el said the victim’s family is most likely amenable to settling the matter with the city councilor.

The National Bureau of Investigation is taking up the case following a request from Carillo, after learning that the victim’s father and brother are policemen.

“Ang proper forum man g’yud ana kay ang PNP. Ang victim unta ang agdon. Otherwise adto na lang tanan muduol sa NBI,” Natu-el commented.

Carillo, who is also a lawyer, was accused of hitting the minor’s head with a rock outside Kuerks restobar in Barangay Kamagayan at past 3 am last Sunday.  (FREEMAN)