CEBU City Council is considering a proposed ordinance that would merge existing liquor and traffic laws into a single code aimed at curbing alcohol-related disturbances and road accidents.
The measure, titled the “Cebu City Responsible Alcohol Service and Road Safety Code of 2026,” was proposed by Councilor Michelle Abella-Cellona. It consolidates City Ordinances 1413, 2775, 1929 and 2612, which separately govern liquor licensing, public drunkenness and speed limits.
Abella-Cellona said the unified code would address what she described as a fragmented regulatory system and align enforcement with the City’s growing nightlife.
The proposed ordinance was filed weeks after young businessman Kingston Ralph Ko Cheng, 23, died in a hit-and-run incident in Barangay Banilad in the early hours of Feb. 8, 2026. Abella-Cellona’s fellow councilors, Pablo Labra II and Kendrick Go, also proposed ordinances related to regulation of alcohol consumption in bars.
Shared responsibility
The proposal frames alcohol control as a shared responsibility of government, businesses and motorists. Liquor-serving establishments would be required to secure proper permits and avoid operating near schools, churches, hospitals, government offices and other protected sites. They would remain barred from selling alcohol to anyone younger than 21 and from serving visibly intoxicated patrons.
Establishments must collect and securely store vehicle keys from customers who arrive in private vehicles, record identification and release keys only if patrons meet allowable blood alcohol limits under Republic Act 10586 or retrieve them sober the next day.
Refusal to undergo a breathalyzer test would require businesses to withhold keys until sobriety is established. Each establishment must maintain a calibrated breathalyzer and trained personnel and provide safe departure options, including ride-hailing services or overnight parking.
Penalties and enforcement
The ordinance would allow authorities to intervene in cases of public intoxication that cause disturbance or risk, with penalties of a P3,000 fine or imprisonment. Refusal to take a legal sobriety test would create a rebuttable presumption of intoxication.
Establishments would face a written warning for a first offense, a P5,000 fine and possible liquor license suspension for second and third offenses, and revocation of business permits for subsequent violations.
Speed regulations
The proposal integrates existing speed rules, calling for stricter enforcement in high-risk and nightlife areas. Penalties range from a P2,000 fine and seminar for a first offense to a P3,000 fine, vehicle impoundment and possible imprisonment of at least 30 days for third and subsequent offenses. Drivers exceeding limits by more than 30 kilometers per hour could face additional fines of up to P2,000, with total fines capped at P5,000. Unpaid fines would accrue 1% monthly interest. / EHP