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[av_heading heading=’SP presses prosecution of lodge for violations’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY GLENDA SOLOGASTOA
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Friday, March 10, 2017
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ILOILO City – The Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) rejected a proposed plea bargaining agreement with the management of Moonlight Lodge in Arevalo district where a 15-year-old girl was found dead in June last year.
The Iloilo City Task Force on Morals and Values Formation (TFMVF) filed charges against lodge owner Olive Yusay and manager Josel Jover before the Iloilo City Prosecutor’s Office for violation of sections 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 of Ordinance No. 2015-447 and Article 4 of Regulation Ordinance 2011-307.
Ordinance No. 2015-447 prohibits lodges and similar establishments from admitting minors while Regulation Ordinance 2011-307 mandates these establishments to have security cameras.
“We want to protect our minors, especially the girls. With what happened in that establishment, maski sin-o man guro indi magsugot (to a plea bargaining agreement),” said Councilor Lee Zulueta, vice chairperson of the city council’s committee on moral values and recovery.
During Tuesday’s regular session, the council deliberated the request of TFMVF head George Duron to authorize him to enter into a plea bargaining agreement with Moonlight Lodge’s management.
In his letter to the city council dated Feb. 14, Duron stated that the respondent’s counsel manifested that one of his clients (Yusay) be dropped from the formal charges and that the management will pay the penalty sum of P5,000.
According to Duron, while the establishment is a single proprietorship, the owner is based in Bacolod City and has no hand in the day-to-day management of the lodge.
Zulueta, however, maintained that the lodge had many violations.
“It did not have security cameras, no signage against the entry of minors and worse, no security guard,” she said. “Kabuhi ang baylo sadto (The violations resulted to a young life lost).”
With what happened, a plea bargaining agreement is untenable, stressed Zulueta.
Meanwhile, Councilor Joshua Alim said the complaint against Moonlight Lodge is a test case.
“For the first time, we will be testing our two ordinances. Subong pa ta maisol? Sigehon ta na lang ni,” said Alim./PN
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