PASIG, Philippines — Pasig Mayor Vico Sotto ordered yesterday the closure of a Chinese restaurant for operating without the necessary business permit.
Sotto warned business owners and workers in the city of hefty fines and closure if they continue to operate without clearance from the local government.
“If you want to do business in Pasig, you follow our laws,” Sotto said on his Facebook page where he also posted photos of Chinese restaurant Fu Yuan Ji being padlocked by authorities.
Since he assumed office in June last year, Sotto has ordered the closure of several establishments for violating laws and regulations, including a meat processing plant that had been discharging waste water to a drainage that connects Pasig River and Manila Bay.
The city hall closed the commissary of Razon Food Corp. after confirming that it had been dumping untreated waste in the city.
For traders interested in opening businesses in Pasig, Sotto said they should undergo the proper process and secure the necessary permits and licenses from the city government.
The mayor also expressed his disapproval of Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs), which in most cases do not seek work permits for its Chinese employees or allegedly bribe officers of the Bureau of Immigration (BI), which leads to the arrest of undocumented Chinese workers.
Last month, the Bureau of Internal Revenue closed POGO Xpoint Technology Philippines Corp. in Pasig for alleged non-payment of taxes.
“To those who will try to use my name in negotiating with POGOs, consider this as a warning. We will implement a one-strike policy for city hall employees,” Sotto said.
He lauded the actions taken by the government to prevent illegal dealings, which result in the growing number of Chinese workers entering the country illegally.
Property consultancy firm Pronove Tai reported in 2018 that Pasig was among the country’s fastest growing cities for POGO offices and other Chinese businesses in the Philippines.
Since 2016, a large number of Chinese citizens have been hired for POGOs.
Sotto also offered to assist the BI in deporting illegal Chinese workers in the city.
“Just let us know how the local government of Pasig can help in catching and deporting these illegal workers,” he said.