‘Amend Net cafe law in Lapu-Lapu’

Confiscate computer units of  violators of Lapu-Lapu City’s Internet cafe ordinance, which prohibits Internet cafe owners from allowing students in their establishments during school hours.

This is the proposal of the City’s Advocacy for Responsible Enterprise (CARE) to the Lapu-Lapu City Council in its bid to amend the penalties of the Internet cafe ordinance.

CARE, which is headed by Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza, is also pushing for a P1,000 fine for first offenders; P3,000 for second offenders; and P5,000 for third offenders on top of the corresponding penalties of the offenses in the Internet cafe ordinance.

Reports of some erring Internet cafe owners, whose establishments were ordered closed for violating the ordinance but had continued to operate even without permits, prompted CARE to push for the proposal, said Ronald Duero, Mayor Radaza’s executive secretary.

Duero also said the group also received reports that these establishments continued to violate the city’s Internet cafe ordinance as they continued to allow students to hang out there during school hours or even a few hours before their classes start.

CARE proposed to confiscate the computer units and deposit them under the custody of the city government. These units would only be returned after the establishments would have complied with the requirements.

Ordinance 363-2006, the Internet cafe ordinance, suspends the operation of the Internet cafe caught allowing students during school hours for three months. For the second offense, the penalty will be a suspension of business operations for six months. A revocation of the business license and closure of the facilities will be the penalty for third time offenders./Correspondent Norman V. Mendoza