The city government of Parañaque on Thursday summoned at least 30 resto-bar and club owners operating on the busy Aguirre strip in the BF Homes Subdivision following reports that party drugs, such as Ecstasy, are being used and sold openly in night establishments in Metro Manila.
Mayor Edwin Olivarez also convened the local peace and order council, ranking police officers and officials of the business permits and licensing office (BPLO) and reminded them about the national government’s campaign to stamp out illegal drugs in six months.
Philippine National Police chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa earlier said high-end clubs and bars in Metro Manila will be the next target of the government’s crackdown on prohibited drugs.
The stretch of Aguirre Avenue in BF Homes hosts 35 resto-bars and clubs catering to residents of Parañaque, its neighboring cities of Las Piñas, Muntinlupa, Taguig and the provinces of Cavite and Laguna.
During their first meeting with city officials, the bar operators and owners in BF Homes promised full cooperation on the illegal drug campaign of President Rodrigo Duterte and the city government, according to Olivarez.
Olivarez said the bar owners who attended the meeting promised that they will police their own establishments and ban all forms of party drugs like Ecstasy tablets from their premises.
He said bar owners assured city hall officials that they will allow police operatives to enter and inspect their establishments and likewise vowed that they will bar the entry of unaccompanied minors.
For his part, Parañaque police chief Senior Supt. Jose Carumba disclosed that they will deploy plainclothes police officers and implement new security measures to prevent bar patrons from using party drugs.
Last July 6, agents of the Philippines Drug Enforcement Agency arrested Taiwanese national Chun Ming Lin during a simultaneous drug raid on Unit 1D Executive Villages Society in BF Homes Phase 5, Parañaque City.
PDEA agents arrested Lin inside the warehouse where 10 kilos of methamphetamine hydrochloride, locally known as shabu, and around 200 kilos of suspected ephedrine were found.
The authorities also dismantled a shabu storage facility at BF Homes.
Police said ephedrine, an ingredient in manufacturing the prohibited drugs, was stored in Parañaque and brought to the house in Las Piñas for processing into shabu crystals.
Carumba also reminded subdivision residents that there will be no let-up in their implementation of the 10 pm curfew on minors in compliance with the city ordinance.
He added that they will fully enforce the city noise pollution ordinance which states that it is unlawful for any person to use or operate videoke machines, karaokes and sound systems with amplifiers and components which are unreasonably loud without proper permits in public areas.
Under the ordinance, a barangay permit is needed before the use of sound systems for parties and rallies.
As part of the agreement, bar operators assured BPLO chief Melanie Malaya that their establishments will start toning down the noise at 1 a.m..
Malaya also reminded bar operators on Aguirre that she will not hesitate to revoke their business permits if they will not follow the law for commercial establishments inside a residential area.
