Punchline, Laffline face closure

Two popular stand-up comedy bars in Quezon City are at risk of closure after city officials and those of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) found them to be virtual firetraps.

A composite team of Quezon City’s Business Permit and Licensing Office (BPLO), Public Safety, Engineering and Electrical Department and BFP officials, paid a surprise visit to the Punchline and Laffline, located at Quezon Avenue and Timog Avenue, respectively, over the weekend and said that the two establishments were operating without appropriate permits.

Specifically, the team discovered that Punchline and Laffline have no business and mayor permits, and have been carrying on their business without valid Fire

Safety Inspection Certificates (FSIC).

Superintendent Danilo Cabrera, BFP operations chief, said that the surprise visit was an offshoot of numerous complaints received by the office that several stand-up comedy bars in the city are accommodating customers even if "they are already SRO (standing room only)".

But during the surprise visit, the authorities turned out to be more surprised because there was not much overcrowding of the two bars on Friday night, raising suspicions that certain City Hall insiders could have leaked information on the operation to the owners.

"However, we still caught them violating several provisions of the Fire Code," Cabrera said.

Arson officers said that tables and customers blocked fire exits, thereby, hindering easy passage of persons during emergencies. – Katherine Adraneda