When the new year comes, their operations will no longer be allowed unless they relocate
A directive for this purpose will take effect on Jan. 1, 2006.It was signed last week by City Mayor Braulio Yarañon who ordered the relocation or forced closure of beerhouses, nightclubs. and karaoke bars operating near government buildings, schools, hospitals or churches in violation of the distance restrictions provided for under the city’s Liquor Code and the Tax Ordinance.
Mayor Yaranon, in Administrative Order No. 269, series of 2005, advised businessmen operating liquor stores, nightclubs, bars, disco houses, beer gardens, computer games and billiard halls which are covered by the zoning provisions of the Liquor and Tax Ordinance not to renew anymore their business permits next year. He said the applications for renewal of permits would not be approved if they intend to continue to operate these types of businesses at the unauthorized locations.
The mayor said the Anti-Vice Coordinating Task Force which has been monitoring the operations of the so-called vice houses found out that many of these establishments have been issued permits and allowed to operate despite the fact that they are violating the law that prohibits the operation of such businesses at places located near government buildings, schools or churches.
The ordinance requires business establishments to secure clearances from the city engineer’s office that their location is "beyond a distance of 50 or 100 linear meters as the case may be from" government edifices, schools and churches.
Under the ordinance, restaurants dispensing liquors are not allowed to operate within 50 meters from such places.
Article 4 of the ordinance also provided the distance restrictions for the location of the establishments such as 100 linear meters for nightclubs, day clubs, cabarets, dance halls, disco pads, beer gardens and cocktail lounges that allow dancing and employ hostesses; and 50 meters for retail dealers of fermented liquor, retail liquor dealers, liquor stores, ordinary beer gardens, bars and cocktail lounges without dancing and GROs.
The mayor said the city has to strictly implement the restrictions because the violations have reached "intolerable conditions."
He said the city has to stop "the alarming existence of the so-called vice or sin businesses (which) are causing so much disorder in the life of the youth, the family including children, because of drunkenness, immorality and crimes in this socalled vice establishments."
The mayor also criticized the practice of some businessmen to operate their businesses before securing business permits. He said this "culture" has to be stopped because it creates lawlessness and disorder.
The mayor had not allowed any letup in the crackdown on illegal establishments, and this has so far resulted in the closure of some 1,000 illegal businesses, mostly located in the central business districts.
Last week, the mayor, upon the advice of AVCTF, ordered the permanent closure of six nightclubs in the AbanaoFerguson-Naguilian area for lack of business permits, hiring minors and workers without working permit, lack of sound proofing, and for maintaining so-called VIP rooms.
