Wednesday, October 01, 2008 Cybershop ordered closed for violating ordinance By Malu C. Manar
KIDAPAWAN CITY -- A cybercafe here, one of the biggest in the city, was ordered close after it was caught violating an ordinance that regulates operation of cyber shops and gaming centers.
City administrator Rodolfo Cabiles Jr. has ordered the closure of The White Dwarf, few hours after they raided Sunday a number of cyber shops here believed to be violating Ordinance 07-514.
Cabiles co-chairs the Internet Cafe Accrediting Board (Icab), a special group created early this year to monitor, through ocular inspections, the operations of cyber shops.
Reports reaching the board said a number of cyber shops here are allowing minors to engage in indecent or lewd activities through use of Internet.
These shops, the group alleged, have also tolerated minors to use their services even during class hours.
During the raid Sunday morning, the board found out that The Dwarf, including two other big internet shops here, have installed fully enclosed cubicles with curtains, which allowed users, especially minors, to open pornographic sites.
Also, the Dwarf, according to Cabiles, has violated the city ordinance for its failure to renew its business license this year.
The establishment, said Cabiles, also could not present its permit in 2006.
"From the records, we found out the shop has no business license when it operated in 2006 and in 2008," he said, adding such act violated section 4.1.1 of the ordinance.
Erlinda Doblas, city social welfare officer, said it was not the first time that they discovered The Dwarf and other Internet shops here violated the ordinance.
After a random ocular inspection early in May this year, they already gave strict orders to these shops to institute changes or face closure.
"They, however, did not heed to our call," she said.
But of the shops inspected Sunday morning, only the Dwarf was ordered close for its failure to present business permits in 2006 and in 2008.
