Mandaue bars in hot water

CEBU, Philippines — The Mandaue City government has put on hold the business permits of three bars in the city for allegedly defying an order that prohibited parties during the Sinulog weekend.

Mandaue Mayor Luigi Quisumbing has ordered MO2 Restobar, The Sentral Bar and Lounge, and Club Hatchi to explain why they defied the order.

A show cause order addressed to the owners of the three establishments was delivered last night.

"Importante gyud kaayo nga we ask them to show cause why they feel that their business permit should be renewed considering that they cannot keep the peace in their own establishment," Quisumbing told reporters yesterday.

Jose Jaime Baclay of the City Legal Office said the bar owners have five days to provide an explanation.

The MO2 Restobar was the first to receive the order.

Quisumbing said the event inside MO2 caused traffic congestion last January 20, Saturday.

"It has come to our attention that they have an event which they did not coordinate with the city, which caused a massive traffic jam, not to mention because they did not coordinate with the city, they did not have security and safety security nearby," he said.

"The closest that any of the city personnel was City Times Square who actually had a permit but you know, had anything untoward happened sa Saturday night, they could have taken quite some time for our responders to be able to get there because we had no idea until it happened to be on full swing that MO2 was having an event and plus, ang illegal parking around the venue really caused a major traffic jam but according to TEAM, the traffic jam had  backed up all the way to SM City Cebu," Quisumbing added.

Lito Atillo, manager of MO2 Resto Bar, said he has already explained to Quisumbing that the bar itself did not secure the mayor’s permit because it was supposed to be the responsibility of the events promoter. He said they also did not expect the event to attract that big a crowd.

"Wala namo na-anticipate ang volume sa tawo. Gi-control namo pero nagdasok man. Lisud kaayo i-control ang mga tawo," he said.

Quisumbing also felt "insulted" that The Sentral Bar and Lounge, defied his order.

He said the bar applied for a permit for January 21, Sunday, but the city denied the same.

"We denied it because it is very clear na we will not be issuing any permits for a Sunday night. Despite they are told as early as Tuesday and Wednesday that we will not be approving; on Friday night at 1:07 in the morning, nibutang sila two days to go before Neon Jungle (Sinulog Music Festival) so very clear gyud that they have no intention of respecting the order of the city hall and they have no intention of following the rules set by the city," Quisumbing said.

"Pero kung dunay mahitabo, pananglitan magka-riot, magka-stampede, they would also depend on the same authorities to send emergency and respond services."

The bar was closed yesterday and will resume operations tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Quisumbing said the city received reports of physical injuries at Club Hatchi involving its owner, bouncers, as well as its employees.

From last year until this month, police have recorded 66 cases of physical injuries at the club. Of the 66, the owner and its bouncers got involved in at least 27 incidents.

"There has been a pattern involving many, many incidents fights, physical injuries in Club Hatchi and a good number of them involved the management and employees of the establishment. Now, if we cannot ensure the baseline of safety para sa mga customers ngadto, because the employees themelves are the ones that are acting like this," Quisumbing said.

Only the club’s cashier received the show cause order from the city last night. —/JMO (FREEMAN)