Acropolis residents call for bar’s closure

Well-to-do residents of the Acropolis Green Subdivision in Quezon City called for the closure of a popular bar and restaurant in the vicinity for allegedly "disturbing the peace."

About 200 residents appealed to Mayor Feliciano Belmonte Jr. to close down the Ponana Bar and Restaurant in Libis because they "totally disregarded" their requests for the establishment to tone down the noise during the wee hours.

"Since our initial complaints failed to resolve the problem, the loud and disturbing and unhealthful noises continue unabated," the residents said in a statement.

According to the homeowners, the restaurant’s boisterous music is continuously heard from 11 p.m. until about 4 a.m. The residents had been complaining as early as last May to the Ponana Bar management.

For their part, Ponana managing director Aaron Isip assured the public that "all our agreements are being met and anybody is invited to inspect our establishment anytime."

The disgruntled residents however, said there are other "irregulatrities in the bar’s operations," among them — that the establishment is operating as a disco-restaurant without the necessary permit.

The homeowners said the bar’s lack of adequate parking space for its customers also causes major traffic jams because vehicles "occupy two lanes of the three-lane street." – Matthew Estabillo