Election-related ‘liquor ban’ to start on Sunday

LOCAL police in Cebu City will implement a citywide liquor ban starting Sunday midnight, May 8, 2022.

Lt. Col. Maria Theresa Macatangay, spokesperson for the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), said the liquor ban will be implemented a day before the local and national elections on Monday, May 9.

Macatangay said their personnel will patrol all parts of the city in order to enforce the ban.

Those who will be caught buying, selling, soliciting and drinking alcoholic beverages and liquors on that day will be placed on police custody. Violators could face imprisonment of up to one year to six years.

Macatangay, a lawyer, explained that under Commission on Elections (Comelec) Resolution 10741, even those under the influence of liquor who enter the polling precinct can be arrested if proven drunk.

“Gamay lang nga pugong.

Anyway, duha ra man na ka adlaw. Kay human ana, pwede namo mobalik sa inyohang pag inom-inom,” Macatangay added.

(Just practice a little restraint. Anyway, that’s for two days only. Afterwards, you can go back drinking.)

But there may be exemption from the liquor ban, especially hotels and restaurants with foreign guests that are certified by the Department of Tourism and have obtained Comelec’s approval to serve liquor.

According to the Comelec rule, foreign visitors can obtain permits to drink from the Comelec office in the city or the town where they stay.

As to vote-buying activities in the city, Macatangay admitted they encountered some difficulty in monitoring them.

She, however, encouraged those who were able to witness vote-buying activities to file complaints and show their evidence to support their allegations.