MikeLigalig.com

By Kit Bagaipo
The Bohol Chronicle

Some 17 junk shops here are being closed down by Mayor Dan Lim.

The mayor's order came after the city police arrested the suspects of stealing 47 transformers and runway lights at the City Airport, reportedly worth P2 million.

The junkyard owners were already told by the mayor to stop its operations as police have linked cases of theft to junk shops.

Several reported stolen items by residents end up sold as scrap items at junk yards, according to police.

Since last year, the mayor has not issued business permits to junk yard operators.

The closure orders were served last Thursday by the City Permits and Licensing Section.

However, if the junk yards continue to operate this week, city general services officer Mark Leo Monton said a task force will enforce the closure order.

Kalouy sa uban nga inosente, nadamay intawon.

Na unsaon wala man pud diay business permit.

aw in someway maka ayu na sa tagbilaran,pero ag mga wala tawn gabinoang nadamay......

If these junk shops did business without the requisite permits, then they had the closure order coming.  But if they were ordered closed merely as an offshoot of the airport burglary, then it is illegal.  We should take lessons from the case of Manila Mayor Fred Lim when he closed down Bistro Pigalle in his drive against prostitution.  The Supreme Court ruled that -----

         "Mayor Alfredo Lim has no authority to close down Bistro’s business or any business establishment in Manila without due process of law.  Lim cannot take refuge under the Revised Charter of the City of Manila and the Local Government Code.  There is no provision in these laws expressly or impliedly granting the mayor authority to close down private commercial establishments without notice and hearing, and even if there is, such provision would be void.  The due process clause of the Constitution requires that Lim should have given Bistro an opportunity to rebut the allegations that it violated the conditions of its licenses and permits. " [lim vs CA; G.R. No. 111397; August 12, 2002]

Did Mayor Lim seriously think that by closing these junk shops in Tagbilaran, this could curb crimes?  It's like having a leak in the pipe and by taping the hole, that could stop the problem.