Oplan Bakal at Katipunan bar requested by local exec —Eleazar

The Quezon City Police District chief on Friday said that the surprise inspection at a bar along Katipunan Avenue last Wednesday night was done in coordination with Barangay Ugnayan officials.

In an interview on "Unang Balita" QCPD director Chief Superintendent Guillermo Eleazar made the clarification after netizens aired their comments on Twitter, claiming that customers of the Tortuga bar and restaurant were alarmed by the surprise inspection under "Oplan Bakal."

"Actually, yung pinuntahan natin noong Miyerkules at lahat po ng establishments sa area, ay ipinagpaalam po natin," Eleazar said.

But in a statement on Friday, the Tortuga management said, "...There was no coordination between surrounding establishments and the QCPD to search students and customers of Tortuga. However, we recognize that bars and restaurants are public spaces, within police jurisdiction to search unannounced, so we happily comply with all government regulations and checks."

Eleazar promised to look into complaints that the inspection was unannounced and was not coordinated with the establishment.

However, he clarified that Oplan Bakal or inspections of bars, nightclubs, places that serve alcoholic beverages and areas considered as crime-prone is has been a 30-year-old police policy.

In the case of the Tortuga, he said that they received a request from the chairman of Barangay Ugnayan for police to conduct Oplan Bakal after local officials got information that illegal transactions are probably being done at establishments around the area.

"Sa meeting sa Barangay Ugnayan noong August 21, attended din ito ng representatives from Ateneo de Manila University ... ang concern po nila ay maraming estudyante na pumupunta sa mga bar na ito at meron mga impormasyon na posibleng magkaroon ng illegal transaction dito," he said.

Eleazar assures the public that Oplan Bakal is legal and does not infringe into rights of the citizens.

He said that the standard procedure in any Oplan Bakal includes the following steps: 1) Coordinate with the management of the establishment, 2) Ask permission to conduct a search; if the management agrees, the police will do the following —a) Turn the lights inside the club on, b) announce inspection and ask apology for the inconvenience, c) ask customers to stand, d) and conduct a visual check —no body contact.

As with the bags, he said, the cops must ask permission from the owner to open and conduct visual check, preferably use a flashlight during the search. If the owner declines, the police should not insist.

"Unless there is probable reason to believe na meron silang tinatagong hindi maganda, so pede po kaming gumawa ng appropriate action," he said.

Asked how possible cases of abuse and "planting of evidence" can be avoided, Eleazar said, "Ang gusto kong i-assure wala pong ilalabag, walang harassment wala pong pang-aabuso na gagawin ang ating mga pulis."

Moreover,, he said that complainants may contact him through his office hotline  0917 861 1870. —LBG, GMA News