One of the highly contentious issues since the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) throughout Luzon took effect is the ban on the sale and consumption of liquor, which is being enforced by several LGUs in Metro Manila as well as by other cities and provinces outside of Luzon.
To be clear, President Duterte did not order a nationwide liquor ban. The President’s Proclamation No. 929, which ordered the ECQ and declared the whole Philippines under a State of Calamity for a period of six months, enforces strict home quarantine in all households, suspends transportation, regulates food and essential health services, and heightens the presence of uniformed personnel to enforce quarantine procedures.
Several LGUs perhaps thought it best to ban liquor altogether, since it is not considered an essential good or item anyway, and they probably thought that drinking would be a hindrance to the enforcement of ECQ.
However, the Department of Interior and Local Government in its memorandum to LGUs “strictly enjoined” them not to overextend the implementation of the ECQ, beyond what the President ordered.
Manila, for instance, was one of the first cities to enforce a liquor ban amid the ECQ. Mayor Isko Moreno said he decided to enforce the liquor ban because some Manila residents were not following the government’s rules banning mass gatherings. He said some people were still drinking together in the streets, having parties and doing karaoke.
Well, the police should have apprehended these violators, for sure. But we doubt if a few naughty and disobedient residents failing to comply with the ECQ, is sufficiently serious enough to justify a total ban on the sale and consumption of liquor in the entire city.
Besides, even before the ECQ was enforced, most LGUs already had local ordinances banning the drinking of alcohol in public places, including roads, streets, sidewalks and alleys, even in public plazas and parks. It was already illegal to do so prior to the ECQ, and violators had to be sanctioned even then.
If restrictions on the sale and consumption of liquor were based on other reasons, let’s say because alcohol intoxication leads to abusive and violent behavior at home, or it could lead to medical emergencies that could further strain hospital resources, then that’s another matter. But to penalize the majority of your constituents who are complying with the ECQ just because of a few pasaway tambays sa kalye does not seem justified.
This does not mean that LGUs cannot enforce their own rules amid the ECQ in certain circumstances, because indeed they are autonomous enough to do so. We only argue that there must be sufficient reasons for the enforcement of additional rules and sanctions, and that these must be proportional to the needs of the people, to rule out the arbitrary exercise of powers. Again, there should be no ‘overextension’ of what the President or the administration ordered.
Some companies are arguing local liquor bans are likely to ruin their businesses and are begging the executive department to intervene so the restrictions can be lifted.
In a letter addressed to Department of Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon Lopez, the Center for Alcohol Research and Development Foundation Inc. said: “If this ban continues, the industry can no longer survive, a situation that can affect a large sector of the community.”
Some of CARD’s members are Absolut Distillers, Emperador Distillers, Ginebra San Miguel, Far East Alcohol, and Asian Alcohol, companies who incidentally are also helping the country contain the coronavirus through their donations and other CSR activities.
“We plead that you take into consideration the plight of our workers and the benefit that our industry provides to our nation’s economy,” CARD said. “We are pleading to let us thrive as a business, by allowing our products to exist in the market, with the same freedom of trade given to other goods and products.”
“We are a legitimate business enterprise and banning the existence of our products in the market will only proliferate the existence of bootleggers who would take advantage of the prohibition by selling alcohol of inferior quality and standards, or of illegal drugs in place of our alcoholic beverages, further endangering the lives and health of the public,” said the letter. “There is no need to further restrict the flow of alcoholic beverages, as the buying freedom of the people is already constrained by the quarantine.”
While many small sari-sari stores would certainly benefit from the lifting of local liquor bans, we are against completely ceasing alcohol consumption for very practical reasons.
At a time when a further extension of the ECQ is being considered beyond April 30, government authorities should also acknowledge that moderate drinking can help a lot of Filipinos cope with the stress and anxiety caused by isolation and home quarantine. If having a beer or two, or a glass of wine or two, can give citizens a much needed dose of temporary euphoria or happiness, if it can help lighten the heavy emotional burdens of the ECQ and social distancing, then why deprive them?
Image credits: Jimbo Albano
5 comments
is this u atty jemy
Liquor ban will greatly affected the revenue (sin tax) being generated by the government,thus, universal health care fund will not be sufficient to cover the budget of Philhealth.
I agree with the writer completely. The ban on liquor is an unnecessary one. And it’s been ineffective so far since there are still people being caught drinking outside of their houses.
This liquor ban is unnecessary in my barangay…. It’s party every night, indian are outside until 11pm… As long as I don’t have friend here, I just don’t have my beer at night …. hope they will lift it soon 🙁
Masarap uminom i can’t deny. Pero ang issue lang dito, kung may inuman eh matic nang may pagtitipon tipon so dikit dikit ang tao. May mga taong kayang uminom muna ng solo habang matiyagang hinihintay ang lunas. Pero di kasi lahat ganun. May mga nakikita akong pasaway na nagyayaya ng inuman sa kanilang bahay during ECQ. Napipiligro lang mga kapitbahay coz they’re not sure kung saan saan ba galing or nagsususuot itong mga outsiders/guests na ito