Police nab 29 persons for violating liquor ban

CEBU, Philippines – At least 29 persons, mostly women, were arrested in Cebu City for violating the Commission on Election's Resolution 8730, or the liquor ban, implemented starting 12:01 yesterday in line with today's elections.

Senior Insp. Pedro Quevedo, deputy chief of Operations Section of the Cebu City Police Office, said the suspects were arrested within the jurisdiction of the Guadalupe Police Station.

SPO3 Carlito Lirazan of the Guadalupe Police said the eldest among the violators was a 37-year-old woman while the youngest was also a 19-year-old woman. Lirazan said of the arrested, 15 were women and majority of them are ordinary citizens.

CCPO director, Senior Supt. Melvin Ramon Buenafe, said the people maybe well-informed already about the ban that's only a few were arrested.

During the May elections, 85 persons were arrested in various areas in the city during the first day of the implementation of the 48-hour liquor ban.

Buenafe said policemen are deployed as roving patrols for the liquor ban especially at night until dawn but their main focus is for the conduct of peaceful and honest elections.

Starting 5 a.m. today, all personnel of the CCPO will be deployed to different parts of the city with most of them at the schools to guard the polling precincts.

The police official said violators of the liquor ban have pleaded him to spare them from the charges as they had no knowledge about the ban.

However, Buenafe said ignorance of the law is not an excuse. "Kinahanglan tanan magpakabana."

He said they have already reported the matter to the Comelec and eventually, charges will be filed tomorrow against the violators who are detained at Guadalupe Police detention cell.

According to the Comelec resolution, any person who sells, furnishes, offers, buys, serves or takes intoxicating liquor during the period of the liquor ban will be arrested.

Hotels and other establishments duly certified by the Department of Tourism as tourist-oriented and habitually in the business of catering to foreign tourists may be exempted. (FREEMAN)