Quezon City shutters 3 bars for COVID-19 violations

MANILA, Philippines — The Quezon City government shut down on Friday three restobars that allegedly violated COVID-19 protocols.

Ordered closed were the Batcave Food/Music Bar along Visayas Avenue, Karma Lounge on Tomas Morato Extension and Guilly’s Island Restaurant and Bar at the corner of Tomas Morato Avenue and Scout Albano.

Brig. Gen. Antonio Yarra, Quezon City Police District director, said QCPD operatives and personnel from the city’s business permits and licensing department found out the establishments violated the local government’s memorandum on general community quarantine guidelines.

Yarra said 39 persons were apprehended at Guilly’s Island for not wearing face masks and shields. They also failed to observe physical distancing protocols.

The restobar also violated the city’s ordinance on the sale of liquor and was operating with an expired business permit.

The violators were released after they were issued ordinance violation receipts.

“The shutdown of three resto bars and the issuance of ordinance violation receipts to 39 violators are clear manifestations that they deliberately violated the IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases) protocols and Quezon City ordinances,” Yarra said in a statement.