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Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Stop them: cardinal; 4 CH offices want mall closed
Whatever is good should be preserved and whatever is evil should be taken out,” said Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, on reports of lewd shows at some of the bars at an uptown mall in Cebu City.
Cebu Anti-Indecency Board (Caib) chairman Dr. Rene Josef Bullecer told the cardinal about lewd shows, prostitution, brawls, drunkenness and sexual activities at Mango Square.
Bullecer and Cardinal Vidal met yesterday for the 13th anniversary of Aids-Free Philippines. It was there that the cardinal issued the statement.
Bullecer, for his part, said Caib has been monitoring the activities of Mango Square patrons. He said one bar featured lewd shows with women dancing on ledges. Minors are reportedly served alcoholic drinks.
Acting Cebu City Police Director Melvin Gayotin yesterday ordered the Vice Control Section to closely monitor the activities at Mango Square.
Police visibility will also be beefed up, he added.
One patrol car of the Mobile Patrol Group was assigned to respond to alarms while traffic enforcers were deployed in the area, particularly at night, to direct traffic on Gen. Maxilom Ave.
At least five Cebu City Hall offices recommended the closure of Mango Square mall if it refuses to comply with building permit requirements and safety standards in 10 days.
Because of the violations pointed out by the department heads, Mayor Tomas Osmeña refused to grant the request of the tenants inside the complex to be excluded from the closure order.
The Office of the Building Official (OBO), the City Fire Department, City Traffic Operations Management, City Attorney’s Office and the City Health Department enumerated the violations of the establishment during their meeting with the mayor last Monday afternoon.
The department heads agreed to give the mall management 10 days to remove all illegal structures within the establishment.
City Administrator Francisco Fernandez said the officials also agreed with Mayor Osmeña’s plan to close the mall 10 days after it receives the notice of closure.
The notice will be sent today.
“If they don’t comply, we will withdraw the permit to occupy issued to the mall and the implication is that the entire building will be shut down. The tenants inside the building are in favor of the mayor’s plan but they asked that we limit it to the problem area, which is the area outside the mall,” Fernandez said in a phone interview.
But Fernandez said City Hall cannot be selective because the occupancy permit covers the whole Mango Square mall, including three call centers and National Bookstore.
The city administrator also asked the city attorney to look into reports that there are lewd performances at the bars at night.
It was the first time they heard such a complaint.
Within the 10 days, Ludo and Luym Development Corp. will be given a chance to comply with the revisions required by the OBO, fire department and the City Health office.
In an interview yesterday, OBO acting department head Josefa Ylanan said Mango Square has to remove all illegally constructed structures on the parking lot, which do not have building permits.
The open plaza of Mango Square mall also does not have comfort rooms and a parking lot.
Ylanan said they first learned about the illegal structures last December yet, but they thought these were only temporary structures.
“Using the parking area and construction area is a violation of the National Building Code and a local ordinance. We have been sending them notices about their violations but there was no action on it, so we agreed with the mayor to close it if there is still no compliance after 10 days,” she told Sun.Star Cebu.
City Fire Marshal Esmael Codilla said the mall is a fire hazard in itself because it does not have enough fire exits.
“Delikado gyud if there is an emergency because the place is too crowded and if a fire or another emergency occurs, there will surely be a stampede and the people will have difficulty going out,” he added. (LCR/JGA/JST)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (August 30, 2006 issue)
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