ILOILO City – All resto bars operating in this southern city were temporarily closed effective yesterday.
Mayor Jerry Treñas ordered the closure until the end of this month following reports that many establishments were violating the liquor ban under the general community quarantine (GCQ).
This move was in deference to the rules of the national government’s Inter-Agency Taskforce (NIATF), Treñas stressed.
“Gasunod man lang kita sa IATF nga rules,” according to the mayor. He earlier acknowledged that the city government could not police all bars in the city.
Treñas said while the city government has allowed bars to operate, they are not yet supposed to sell alcoholic drinks.
“We tried our best…Gintugtan naton but ang ginahambal nila pirmi nga waay sila ya kabalo,” said Treñas.
Nevertheless, Treñas is ready to sit down with resto bar owners and managers.
Last week, the composite team which Treñas created to crackdown erring establishments was able to close down a total of 24 establishments.
Nestor Canong, chairman of the Task Force on Morals and Values Formation and a member of the composite team, said 20 of the 24 establishments were resto bars caught serving alcohol drinks while the four others were coffee shops, restaurant and bakery that do not have permit to operate.
Canong said the composite team will monitor the closed establishments to make sure they are not operating./PN
