Bar inspection to go on despite complaints

CEBU, Philippines - Mayor Michael Rama vowed to continue enforcing the anti-liquor and anti-noise ordinances of Cebu City despite complaints from bar operators.

An inspection team, composed of officers from the City Treasurer’s Office, has been tasked to monitor bars and restos that serve liquor possible violations on both the anti-noise and anti-liquor ordinances.

“When there is reaction like that (complaints) from bar owners, it only means that the inspection team is doing its job,” Rama yesterday told reporters.

Personnel from the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) are also deployed to escort and provide security for the inspection team.

The mayor said that with his new term, this is one of the priorities of his administration.

“This (inspection) should go on. We do not want that it will be just be done to react to an incident,” he said.

Rama earlier stressed that peace and order must be proactive and not reactive.

The massive inspection Friday night in bars located in downtown, Mango Avenue, and IT Park areas was done a few days after returning Councilor Gerry Carillo figured in a controversy where he was accused of hitting a 16-year-old boy with a stone resulting in serious injuries.

A manager of one of the IT Park bars inspected Friday said the inspection only resurfaced after the controversy, adding the last time their bar was inspected was in 2011.

But Rama said these bars are “lucky” that they are not the subject of the regular roving.

“Swerte sila nga dugay silang wala mabisita. This is part of my administration’s direction in terms of peace and order. We will make inspection, CITOM, quick action response to operate 24/7,” Rama said.

He added that the government must keep up with the rising demands and needs of its constituents.

“The city is visited by unimaginable tourists. Cebu City has become a city that doesn’t sleep. So we won’t also sleep in providing public service,” the mayor stressed. —(FREEMAN)