CLUB TO OPERATE WHILE UNDER INVESTIGATION
Mandaue City Hall says it cannot just close an establishment while there is no validated evidence yet of a wrongdoing
Liv Super Club will continue to operate while the Mandaue City Government’s investigation on the establishment’s compliance with city requirements is ongoing, City Mayor Gabriel Luis Quisumbing said.
The City Government has been doing the investigation to determine if Liv has permits and has regularly paid taxes, following a report that one of Liv’s owners was tagged as the middleman for the shipment of several kilos of shabu from China.
Yesterday, the mayor showed a document indicating the names of the incorporators of Liv Super Club. According to the general information sheet, the corporate’s name was registered as Liv Disco Club Inc.
The incorporators are Brian Tan Del Solo of Barangay Tipolo in Mandaue, Yi Shen Dong of Parañaque City, Henry Reyes Yu of Pasay City, Raymond Go of Plaridel St., Cebu City and Hua Zhou Ling of Consolacion, Cebu.
Del Solo was identified as the chairman of the board.
Yi Shen Dong, who was identified as Kenneth Dong in previous reports, was named as the middleman of Richard Tan, owner of Hong Fei Logistics, where the shipment of 605 kilos of shabu from China was delivered.
The City Treasurer’s Office and Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO) conducted an initial investigation.
Other offices that are part of the investigating team are the City Environment and Natural Resources Office, Office of the Building Officials, other departments concerned and Atty. Mae Elaine Bathan, the mayor’s chief-of-staff.
Quisumbing said they cannot just shut down an establishment without validated evidence.
“That is why we have it investigated, and if there is basis we will act,” said Quisumbing.
SunStar Cebu received a photo via e-mail showing Quisumbing, Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte together with Dong and four other persons.
It was sent by an email account named Nanny Glass Cebu.
When asked how much he knows about Dong, Quisumbing said he met the latter during a ribbon-cutting ceremony of one of the establishments in the city.
“I met him I think at a ribbon cutting in City Times Square. I really don’t know him very well. I think once or twice. I think at an opening of one of the bars or clubs, I saw him there,” said the mayor.
As early as last year, the mayor asked the MCPO to monitor all nightlife establishments in the City because they received “rumors about everything from violence, injuries to possible selling and consumption of illegal drugs.”
Quisumbing said he told law enforcement agencies to feel free to conduct an operation, like buy-busts, or increase police presence near the clubs, if it is necessary.
“This is one of the reasons why we have been so keen on setting up the lifestyle zones to make sure that all entertainment venues, especially nightlife venues, are monitored by the police, by the PDEA and related law enforcement agencies. This is to ensure that our nightlife in the city is peaceful and drugfree,” he said.
As early as last year, the mayor asked the MCPO to monitor all nightlife establishments in the City because they received reports about violence and the sale of drugs happening inside bars.