BAGUIO CITY – The Baguio city Police Office (BCPO) ordered all stations in the different parts of the city to strictly implement the prescribed closing time of night spots as part of the overall efforts of the local police force to maintain the prevailing decent peace and order in the country’s undisputed Summer Capital.
BCPO Acting City Director Police Col. Allen Rae F. Co said that owners of night spots located in the different parts of the city must comply with the prescribed closing time for the operation of their establishments to prevent them from being imposed the stringent fines that will be imposed on them once they will be found to have violated the provisions of an existing ordinance that fixed the time for their supposed closure.
He pointed out that while the ordinance prescribing the closing time of night spots has not been amended, revised or repealed by the local legislative body, the local police force will continue to implement the same and that it is expected that owners of the night establishments will strictly comply with the prescribed closing time instead of awaiting for the policemen to remind them about their compliance to the local legislative measure.
Earlier, some owners of night spots located in the different parts of the city have been found by the BCPO personnel to have constantly violated the prescribed closing time of night spots and that the appropriate fines were imposed against them by the local government through the years.
Under the provisions of the ordinance, videoke establishments are mandated to close at 9 pm, liquor establishments without dancing are mandated to close at 12 midnight while bars with dancing are supposed to close their operations at 2 am.
“We seek the cooperation of the owners of the night spot owners by strictly complying with the prescribed closing time so that our law enforcers can concentrate in anti-criminality and peacekeeping interventions for us to be able to sustain the prevailing decent peace and order situation in our city,” Co stressed.
The BCPO official asserted that by strictly complying with the prescribed closing time of night spots, law enforcers will not be destructed in the implementation of the outlined anti-criminality and peacekeeping efforts for the protection of residents and tourists from the evil motive of lawless elements.
According to him, there were numerous incidents in the past where bar owners and managers badmouthed law enforcers who reminded them of their violations which should not be the case because the policemen are simply doing their job as embodied in the existing ordinance that must be complied by all owners of nigh spots.
Co appealed to bar owners not to test the limits of the policemen reminding them of their compliance to existing city ordinance on the prescribed closing time of their establishments because they are simply doing their duties and responsibilities to serve and protect the people from whatever incidents that will pose a threat to the safety of the public.
He suggested that bar owners should bring their sentiments to the local legislative body for the possible amendment of the prescribed closing time of their establishments and for them not to blame the police when they are imposed the required fines for their violation.
By Dexter A. See