Tuesday, January 15, 2008 Angeles police launch 'no barfine' drive By Dante M. Fabian
THE Angeles City Police Office (Acpo) has launched a campaign to stop alleged prostitution in the entertainment establishments in the city, which is blamed for making the city "the source" of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (Aids) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the country.
Last Sunday, Angeles policemen under the supervision of Senior Superintendent George Gaddi were on their second day of making the rounds of establishments catering to foreigners just outside the Clark Freeport Zone.
Superintendent Pedro Ramos, deputy city director for administration, started the campaign over the weekend to make bar owners
strictly comply with the "no barfine" rule or face the full force of the law.
Letters enjoining owners and operators and warning them of the consequences were distributed to establishments in Barangay Balibago, Malabañas, up to Anunas.
Friendship Highway, which is part of Anunas, is now lined with bars, restaurants, and hotels catering to foreigners.
Ramos cited the information received by his office coming from the International Concerned Community regarding the issue that "Angeles City is the source of Aids in the Country."
He said the Acpo is very much alarmed by such issue, thus is forced to strictly implement "all laws with respect to 'prostitution' in the city, particularly Balibago and nearby barangays."
Ramos advised the entertainment business owners to strictly observe the "no barfine" policy, and/or any form of prostitution activities in their establishments.
He explained that this is to totally eradicate such immoral acts in the city in order to prove to the international community that the information is baseless and untrue.
"We have already started campaigning on anti-prostitution by way of rescuing minors in the streets of Balibago and will soon be launching operations on sexually oriented establishments in the city," he said.
Ramos hoped that the concerned business operators would cooperate in this campaign to avoid apprehension of investors and managers who may be caught and charged for engaging in illegal and immoral activities, which also exploit Filipino women.
