Baguio lifts liquor ban to curb profiteering

BAGUIO CITY — The summer capital has lifted a liquor ban that was enforced at the start of the quarantine, to address cases of underground liquor distribution undertaken by profiteers, according to the office of the city mayor.

Retailers in Baguio City may again sell and distribute beer and other alcoholic commodities beginning at 8 a.m. on Saturday (July 4), but these items may only be consumed at home.

“Bars, nightclubs, cocktail lounges, beer gardens and other establishments whose principal line of business (is to serve alcohol)… shall remain closed,” states Executive Order No. 106 series of 2020, which was issued on Friday night (July 3) by Mayor Benjamin Magalong.

Magalong said the ban was imposed due to concerns about drunken offenses that may lead to transmissions of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), citing the May 28 arrest of a 25-year-old brawler who beat up his own father.

The drunk turned out to be infected.

Baguio restrictions on movement are slowly being eased as mainstream businesses begin operating at full capacity, except for tourism accommodation facilities. But Magalong’s directive stresses that large gatherings remain barred while the city is under a modified general community quarantine.

However, during a recent management committee meeting of the city government’s department heads, City Administrator Bonifacio dela Peña discussed reports that profiteers in the villages have been selling beer and gin.

He cited a beverage, which ordinarily costs P60, that have been sold for P160.

These incidences are now being investigated.

A city official also acknowledged that manufacturers and distributors of alcoholic products have been lobbying City Hall for access back into Baguio, which had imposed a strict border lockdown.