Expect more sleazy establishments in Makati City to be shuttered as officials step up the crackdown on prostitution in the city.
Mayor Abby Binay on Thursday ordered the Business Permit and Licensing Office (BPLO) to shut down establishments involved in the sex trade and human trafficking.
“There is no room for prostitution in Makati,” she said in a statement. “We will hunt down prostitution dens, karaoke bars, spas, condominiums, and even computer shops that exploit young men and women in the sex trade.” Binay’s latest directive came on the heels of raids and closures of businesses by the city police and BPLO.
The BPLO shut down 16 establishments for different violations this year, including four prostitution fronts in February alone.
Last week, it served closure orders to 88 Hotel and Master Han Reflexology Spa, both in Barangay Poblacion, for operating as sex dens.
AGBL Wellness Spa in Poblacion and Pentagon SPA in Bangkal were also padlocked. Some of their attendants were arrested for reportedly offering “extra service” to spa customers and extorting money from foreign customers.
On Saturday, Makati policemen rescued 24 alleged sex workers at Edison Cafe, a computer shop in Barangay San Isidro. They later closed the shop.