Stores that violated ban will get due process

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña said that the five establishments shortlisted as violators of the executive order on liquor and entertainment ban will receive due process.

As of yesterday, the mayor was still waiting for the collated report on the violations committed mostly by sari-sari stores and restaurants.

“There’s a procedure. You can’t just close them. You have a show cause order and they will be given 10 days to explain,” he told reporters, adding, that due process was observed before the city closed establishments last year for non-payment of taxes and for operating without a business permit.

Osmeña said the only time he can order the immediate closure of an establishment is if there is a “dangerous situation” in the actual scene, which can be considered public nuisance.

The city implemented the ban during the Sinulog weekend to avoid unruly, drunken crowds after the Grand Parade like in previous years.

In fact, he said, he will support the suggestion of Councilor David Tumulak to widen the coverage of the ban. This year, the ban covered a 300-meter radius from the Grand Parade route.

“I’m not against drinking liquor. I just want to maintain peace and order,” he said, even if this means curtailing certain liberties for general welfare.

“This year’s Sinulog is an exercise of centralized planning, decentralized implementation,” he said.

The best result of the liquor and party ban, he said, was an atmosphere where children could go to the streets and watch the Grand Parade.

“I was just very pleased that the children were coming out. We have to make it clear to all the elements who are participating in the Sinulog that the objective here is to create an atmosphere where the parents can bring out their children,” Osmeña said.

For many years, being in the streets for the Grand Parade also meant having to deal with drunken spectators. Many would start taking in hard drinks during the day until after the Grand Parade in the evening, which often produced unruly crowds and rendered streets impassable to vehicles.

Osmeña said he is happy that his “mental model,” which he taught to all organizers, enforcers, and all that worked for the Sinulog, was effective.

This entailed visualizing that Sto. Niño is the mayor of Sinulog, not him, he said. —/JMO (FREEMAN)