Romulo Sollano, owner of Eat Me KTV bar, however, eluded arrest as he was not around when members of the provincial police force raided the night club.
But the police have already filed complaints against the seven GROs before the fiscal’s office against the seven guest relations officers (GROs) nabbed while dancing nude at the Eat Me KTV bar.
City administrator Rodolfo Cabiles Jr. said the local government unit (LGU) will use as legal basis the raid conducted by the North Cotabato provincial police in its move to shut down the operations of the KTV bar.
Cabiles said they are set to revoke the business license of Eat Me for violating Ordinance No. 52-93 and Article 201 of the Revised Penal Code, which prohibit immoral shows, exhibitions, and indecent shows.
He also urged the local police to conduct undercover investigation in places where GROs are believed to be performing bold shows.
Reports said that Sollano has already sought help from a top local government official in North Cotabato so that he could continue his business in the city.
Sollano said that the shows performed by his GROs last Tuesday were not lewd. “They wear bras and panties while dancing. That is normal,” he stressed.
But Cabiles said that even if the GROs had underwear, still, he considered the shows lewd. “We consider as lewd a show that is indecent. Dancing with underwear in front of too many men in a public place is, in itself, lewd and therefore violates our existing ordinance,” he explained.
Thus, he said, the city LGU is bent on filing the appropriate charges against Sollano.
“We can’t allow this thing to happen in this place. Also, what we’re trying to say here is that the city LGU is serious in implementing our own ordinance,” said Cabiles.
Chief Insp. Leo Ajero, city police director, said their office has filed indecent show complaint under Article 201 of the Revised Penal Code against the seven GROs.
The city prosecutor’s office recommended a P6,000 bail for each of the GROs for their temporary liberty.
Last June, eight minors working as GROs in various KTV bars here were also rescued by the Kidapawan City PNP during raids.
They were reunited with their families after undergoing psycho-social intervention by the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO)
The City Health Office (CHO) here has also urged the KTV bar operators to secure “pink cards” for their GROs before they will be allowed to work. (Malu Cadelina Manar and Williamor A. Magbanua / MindaNews)
