Four city establishments seek liquor ban exemption
One hotel and three restaurants/bars have applied before the City Commission on Election (Comelec) an exemption for the liquor ban. The applications of these four establishments are is still pending for approval.
City Election Officer 2 Jonathan Sayno said they have received the applications of Days Hotel, Bourbon Street, Flow Resto and Lounge and Ocean City. The city Comelec only received their application the other day. The liquor ban starts on May 13, 2007, the day before the election.
One of the prohibited acts contained in the Comelec rules 261 states any person who sells, furnishes, offers, buys, serves or takes intoxicating liquor on the days fixed by law for the registration of voters in the polling place, or on the day before the election or on election day.
Provided, that hotels and other establishments duly certified by the Ministry of Tourism (Department of Tourism) as tourist-oriented and habitually in the business of catering to foreign tourists may be exempted for justifiable reasons upon prior authority of the Commission: Provided, further, that foreign tourists taking intoxicating liquor in said authorized hotels or establishments are exempted from this provisions.
Sayno said it is Comelec City Election Officer and concurrent Comelec provincial election supervisor Elizabeth Doronila who can approve the applications of these four establishments. They are expecting more resto bars to file their exemption from the liquor ban.
The law also prohibits any person who opens in any polling place or within a radius of thirty meters thereof on election day and during the counting of votes, booths or stalls of any kind for the sale, dispensing or display of wares, merchandise or refreshments, whether solid or liquid, or for any other purposes. Any person who holds on election day, fairs, cockfights, boxing, horse races, jai-alai or any other similar sports will be subject for Comelec violations.