Rama warns barangay officials not to intervene in legal operations

CEBU, Philippines - Mayor Michael Rama has warned barangay officials not to go beyond their mandate by intervening valid operations conducted by other government representatives in their barangays.

Rama issued the warning after he was informed that Barangay Captain Fermin Dasmariñas of Poblacion Pardo tried to prevent the members of the Market Operations Division from confiscating the products illegally displayed along the national highway.

The market operatives seized the products because it has affected the traffic flow at the highway.

Rama has ordered City Administrator Jose Mari Poblete to investigate the incident after he received the report about it.

Poblete said the issue will be tackled in today’s meeting of the Cebu City Market Authority.

Market administrator Raquel Arce will be asked to brief the members of the market-policy making body on the Saturday morning incident.

According to Rama, the MOD members were at Pardo then to comply with the instruction from the market authority to clear the roadside of ambulant vendors.

The mayor said the operation was legitimate, although he believes that Dasmariñas was only after of the products that it will not be confiscated because the vendors are registered voters in his barangay.

Dasmariñas admitted having allowed the vendors to display their products along the highway instead at the second floor of the Pardo Public Market because he pitied them. He explained that nobody buys their products at the second floor.

The second floor of the building used to be classrooms of Pardo Elementary School. Since the school now has its own building the place was already vacant prompting the market authority to use it for the vendors.

But despite the order from the market authority for them to use the second floor most of the vendors insisted on occupying the roadside. (FREEMAN NEWS)