Deaf-mute customers to sue resto

A restaurant in Cebu City is facing charges after some waiters allegedly made fun of five deaf-mute customers and refused to give them a discount.

The five customers yesterday went to the Cebu City Prosecutors’ Office to file a complaint against Boosog Lasang Pinoy Resto for violating Republic Act 9442 or the law amending the Magna Carta for Disabled Persons.

Spouses Joseph Gregory and Roslyn Onglatco, Almira Pacubas, Alyssa Rose Binghay, and Glenda Casa, however, were asked to submit a sworn-affidavit to the City Prosecutors’ Office, instead of a simple statement.

They are set to return to the prosecutors’ office today to file the complaint.

Lawyer Ralph Sevilla of Boosog Lasang Pinoy Resto earlier issued an apology to the five deaf-mute customers during a conciliation meeting at the barangay Kasambagan hall.

But that wasn’t enough to satisfy the complainants.

“We came up with certain things to pacify them. But they can go and file a case,” Sevilla said.

According to the complainants, they went last March 9 to Boosog Lasang Pinoy Resto on g Juan Luna Street in Cebu City.

Upon entering the restaurant, they noticed that one of the waiters was laughing and trying to immitate their hand gestures.

“When we saw those gestures, we felt insulted and hurt,” they said.

After eating, they asked for the bill and sought a discount as provided by RA 9442.

The complainants also showed newspaper clippings about PWD discounts.

They were told that the restaurant was not giving discounts to persons with disabilities (PWD).

They ended up paying the full amount of P1,187.

Section 32 (a) of RA 9442 entitles PWDs to “at least twenty percent (20%) discount from all establishments relative to the utilization of all services in hotels and similar lodging establishments; restaurants and recreation centers for the exclusive use or enjoyment of persons with disability.”

Sevilla said the management tried to review footage of the restaurant’s closed circuit television (CCTV) but they didn’t see the employees making fun of the complainants.

“We didn’t see anything,” he said.

The five customers insist they were subjected to ridicule and that the CCTV footage could have been edited.

“We were the ones who were there,” the complainants said through an interpreter.