Human barricade set up by QC vendors against illegal clearing operations

Press Release

September 9, 2016

HUMAN BARRICADE SET UP BY QC VENDORS AGAINST ILLEGAL CLEARING OPERATIONS

A group of vendors situated in Philcoa, Quezon City organized a human barricade to keep agents of the QC local government from demolishing their stalls.

Members of the Metro Manila Vendors Alliance (MMVA) assembled at 8 in the morning to keep uniformed personnel from clearing the area of the vendors,most of whom have already been operating in Philcoa for more than two years.

"We were only informed of the clearing operations last September 7, and was only given 24 hours to abandon our stalls. We have consistently paid our dues to the city government and have been issued a Temporary Hawkers Permit by the Quezon City Market division," said MMVA Coordinator Tita Flor Santos. "This is why we do not understand the reason for such harsh treatment from the local government," she added.

The demolition of the vending stalls were done in correspondence with an order issued by the City Council Committee on Public Order and Security, headed by Councilor Ranulfo Ludovica. The issue was ordered in light of MMDA Resolution No. 02-28, series of 2002. Aside from the clearing operations, the vendors will also be subjected to mandatory drug testing.

"The clearing operations, put bluntly, is illegal for three reasons," said Sanlakas Secretary-General and MMVA legal counsel Atty. Aaron Pedrosa. "First of all, it violates the Market Code of Quezon City. It also deprives the Philcoa vendors of due process, as they were only informed of the demolition less than a day before," he added.

Atty. Pedrosa said that if not for the intervention of MMVA, the demolition would not have been suspended for one day. "Lastly, the City Council Committee on Public Order and Security does not have the authority to implement the suspension order. while its job is to legislate city ordinances, the power to execute rests upon the Office of the City Mayor," Atty. Pedrosa further stated.

Upon reception of the memo, MMVA has persistently requested a dialogue with QC Mayor Herbert Bautista, but the Mayor's office did not respond to any of their attempts.

"We call on Mayor Bautista and President Duterte to consider the side of vendors in these ongoing clearing operations. We ask them to cancel the demolition of our stalls," Santos pleaded. "We were promised that if we worked accorsing to the rules and did not violate any regulations, our livelihood will be protected. But now, it seems that it is the City Government which has violated that promise," she concluded.