THE Davao City Business Bureau urged bar owners to lookout for minor customers so their store will not be liable for penalties since selling of liquor to minors remains illegal.
r"It is the accountability of the bar owners… they should scrutinize the customers entering their bar," said Business Bureau officer-in-charge Marissa Torentera.
She added that bar owners should check the identification cards of the customers if they are of legal age.
The statements were made after Art's Venue located at Padre Gomez St. was closed down by the bureau for serving liquor to minors and also due to lack of license to operate.
"They should check the identification cards, as it can be shown there whether they are of legal age. However, the erring bar owner said that the physical appearance of the minors which entered their bar appeared mature, as some worn heavy make-up… They (bar owners) should be on their toes if their customers are of legal age or not," Torentera said.
She added the Business Bureau has two teams of inspectors roving day and night to check if establishments have committed violations or are complying with their business permits.
Torentera said their inspectors check different kinds of businesses so they cannot monitor bars alone. They also conduct night inspections that normally target bars.
Art's Venue was earlier ordered to pay a fine of P3,000 for violating the law that prohibits the sale of alcoholic beverages to minors.
However, upon inspection conducted by operatives of the Business Bureau, it was found out that the bar had been violating provisions of the Revenue Code of Davao as it lacked a permit to operate.
Torrentera said the bar, owned by Rolanjay Mistral Artiaga, was operating without business permit, which is already a violation of Section 87, Article 1 of the Revenue Code of Davao.
But even if it was shut down, the Vices Regulatory Unit said Art's Venue would still be paying the P3,000 for violating the law on the sale of liquor.
VRU chief Voltaire Engracia said the P3,000 fine was slapped on Art's Venue as it was the first time the establishment was caught violating Ordinance 064-02 or the Ordinance Prohibiting the selling or allowing minors to purchase alcoholic beverages and Section 7 of the Davao City Ordinance 0292-06 or the Children's Welfare Code.
The VRU also warned Artiaga on possible legal actions if he failed to comply with the mandatory fine within three days.
"Failure to do so will mean the filing of appropriate charges in court," Engracia said. (KVC with reports from PR)