A WHOLESALER of construction materials has been given 10 days from receipt of notice to explain in writing why their warehouses and hardware store in Barangay Mabolo should not be closed down by the Cebu City Government.
In a show cause order signed by Mayor Tomas Osmeña and dated Dec. 1, the management of Vic Enterprises was ordered to explain why all their business establishments should not be closed despite numerous violations.
A copy of the order containing a summary of the investigation results conducted by the City Treasurer’s Office (CTO), City Transportation Office (CCTO) and City Environmental and Natural Resources Office (CCENRO) was posted on the mayor’s Facebook page yesterday morning.
But three days prior to making the document available for public viewing online, Osmeña had already announced that the City will close at least five warehouses for operating without business permits.
Several calls to Vic Enterprises were made by SunStar Cebu yesterday, but they were left unanswered.
CTO’s inspection report dated Nov. 13 revealed that the establishment has been undertaking different lines of business without the necessary business permit.
Finding it an “alarming circumstance,” a tax mapping was conducted within the area, which showed that at least five warehouses around F. Gochan St. and in areas around the Cebu North Road to be in operation without final business permits.
The CCTO, on the other hand, reported that the delivery trucks and other vehicles have committed numerous traffic violations over the course of Vic Enterprises’ operations.
Of the 85 vehicles registered under the establishment, 65 were found to have committed traffic violations on numerous occasions.
“To make matters worse, this report did not even include those vehicles found to be registered under your business establishments which carry only temporary plates. As observed, these vehicles were not included in the query due to the fact that many of these vehicles have the same motor vehicle file number,” the report said.
The establishment also allegedly failed to comply with the recommendations given by the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) 7 during a technical conference dated Jan. 26.
It was learned that Vic Enterprises have violated the Philippine Clean Air Act for not taking “reasonable precautions” to prevent the emission of particulate matter.
But nine months since the conference, CCENRO found that the violations have remained unaddressed.
“Thick dusts and mud within the premises of your business establishments were still found, further confirming the findings of the EMB,” reads the report dated Nov. 13. (RTF)