Club Hatchi shows proof operation is legal
The management of Club Hatchi has formally replied on Monday to the show cause order issued by the Mandaue City government dated January 23.
Addressed to Mayor Gabriel Luis Quisumbing, the written reply dated January 25, 2018 was signed by Sherwin Ang, the president of Hotchi SRL Corporation, the operator of Club Hatchi.
The order cited at least three violations of Club Hatchi including operating despite the lack of permits or licenses, no special permit or license for the Sinulog activity, and previous incidents reflected in the police blotter.
“Club Hatchi has always operated with all the required licenses and permits,” said Ang.
In response to the allegation, Ang attached 14 documents which include the Mayor’s Business Permit issued by the City of Mandaue for the year 2017, Tax Clearance issued by the City Treasurer for the year 2017, Tax Clearance issued by the City Treasurer for the year 2018, Fire Safety Inspection Certificate issued by the City Fire Marshall, for the year 2017-2018, Environmental Conformity Certificate (En-Con) issued by the City Environmental and Natural Resources Officer for year 2017-2018.
Barangay Business Permit issued by Barangay Tipolo for the year 2017, Barangay Business Permit issued by Barangay Tipolo for the year 2018, Business Tax Order of Payment for the year 2018, Official Receipt covering payment of Business Tax for the year 2018, Community Tax Certificate for the year 2018, Official Receipt covering payment of Occupational Tax for the year 2018, Official Receipt covering payment of Fire Fee for the year 2018 and PAG-IBIG Clearance for the year 2018.
“The report, therefore, that Club Hatchi has been operating without the necessary permits and licenses is simply inaccurate, and we hope that the attached documents have corrected the misimpression. Perhaps, the misimpression could be explained by the fact that all permits and licenses are issued in the name not of the trade name “Club Hatchi” but in the name of the owner and operator, Hotchi SRL Corporation,” Ang said.
Ang also denied the second allegation that Club Hatchi did not apply for any special permit or license during the Sinulog for the simple reason that Club Hatchi did not hold any special party, concert or event.
He said that during the entire Sinulog week and, in fact, before and after, Club Hatchi undertook normal operations, no different from any ordinary day of the year.
Club Hatchi did not also advertise any special event, nor did it sell any tickets to any special event, he said.
“If what the report is referring to was the presence of dancing and a live band at Club Hatchi, your inspectors will attest to the fact that dancing and a playing live band are normal activities of Club Hatchi on any ordinary day of the year. And it is licensed and permitted specifically to do this,” Ang said.
Club Hatchi’s Mayor’s Business Permit authorized it to operate and undertake the “bar, disco house, live band, restaurant, wholesale, distribution, dealer or retailer of beer, liquor and cigarettes.”
The Tax Order of Payment for the year 2018 also includes the same.
“Disco dancing and live band playing, in other words, fall within Club Hatchi’s regular Mayor’s Business Permit and did not need a special permit or license. We hope that this explanation, supported by documents issued by the City Government of Mandaue itself will clear the air regarding this misunderstanding,” Ang said.
Ang also confirmed that a great majority of the incidents on the police blotter involved bouncers enforcing peace and order within the establishment over the past year.
He said a close review of all these incidents, however, would reveal that majority of them involved their bouncers attempting to prevent fights from escalating, in the interest of the safety of customers.
In a few of these incidents, Ang said they found, upon investigation, that some bouncers used excessive and unnecessary force to repel the aggressive behavior of some customers, which led to the termination of the employment of the bouncers.
Since the mayor called their attention to the conduct of some bouncers in a meeting at the Mayor’s Office during their first year of operations, Ang said their initial number of 17 bouncers has been reduced to only five because of their strict implementation of the mayor’s orders.
They have replaced them with an adequate number of regular security guards.
He also said that the incidents in the blotter did not result in the filing of any criminal case.
It was reflected in the blotter because the bar reported the incidents to the police.
“It is our hope that, with the foregoing explanation, supporting documents and undertaking, your honor would please grant our establishment consideration and allow us to continue operating and improve our services for the benefit of the public. We shall comply with any requirement that the City Government of Mandaue would impose in order to improve our operations,” Ang further said.