Kuerks bar told: Heed order or face closure

There won’t be any amnesty if Kuerks Restaurant Bar refuses to receive the notice of order from the Cebu City government.

“If they (Kuerks Restaurant Bar) insist on not answering replies, we will be forced to close the establishment with or without the notice order,” City Legal Officer Jerone Castillo said.

Last Friday evening Juanita Monina Paieres, tax mapping division chief, served the notice of order to prohibit serving liquor to minors and staging live band music to Kuerks management.

Piaeres and her City Hall team were accompanied by police as she served the notice order during the middle of a live band performance at the Kuerks bar located along Pelaez Street, barangay Kamagayan, Cebu City.

Castillo said they cannot automatically shut down an establishment without serving the notice of order so the management can explain their side.

He said he will meet with his staff to assess the report submitted by the inspection team on the Kuerks bar and other night spots.

On receiving the notice, the establishment is given 72 hours to submit their explanation in writing.

Paieres said Kuerks Restaurant Bar violated City Ordinance 1413 which prohibits establishments from serving liquors if they are located 100 meters from schools, hospitals or churches.

She also said the establishment violated the ordinance after they were found selling liquor to persons aged below 21 years old.

Kuerks Restaurant Bar came under fire due to a brawl that resulted in one minor sustaining a severe head injury.

The 16-year-old victim named Jan Niño Pogoy, was allegedly bashed on the head with a rock by Cebu City Councilor Gerardo Carillo, who denied the allegation as well as reports that he owned the bar.

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama visited Pogoy at a government-owned hospital last Wednesday evening.

He said he told the doctors to extend every possible assistance to the victim.

The recommendation to close the restaurant bar submitted by the City Treasurer’s Office yesterday awaits Rama’s approval.

City Treasurer Emma Villarete said the bar was inspected following a complaint from GV Towers Hotel about the noise created by the live band performances at Kuerks.

The restaurant-bar also owed the city nearly half a million pesos in back taxes and its business permit already expired.

Rama directed City Administrator Atty. Jose Marie Poblete to intensify their inspections of night spots in the city and enforcement of the city ordinances on liquor ban and curfew of minors.

Aside from Kuerks, City Hall teams were dispatched to inspect bars in Mango Avenue, I.T. Park and the downtown area last Friday night.

“When there are people reacting that will be very positive. That means our composite team is around and they should be very observant enough. They should be complying because we mean business,” Rama said.

Rama said he will appoint a point person in the mayor’s office who will be on call 24/7 to respond to any emergency and keep him updated.

“Lahi naman gud ang Cebu City (Cebu City is different). We are being visited by an increasing number of tourists. We are becoming a city that doesn’t sleep so the government should also be awake,” he added. /Michelle Joy L. Padayhag and Jose Santino Bunachita, Correspondents