CEBU, Philippines - In compliance with a court order, the Talisay City government has started closing some stalls at Nacario Trade Center (NTC).
City spokesperson Arturo Bas, in an interview, said all the stalls inside the NTC that offer the same items as those in Lagtang Public Market were padlocked Wednesday. In her two-page order dated February 15, Regional Trial Court branch 7 Judge Estela Alma Singco directed Mayor Socrates Fernandez to “hold in abeyance” the implementation of his executive order on the closure of stalls in NTC “provided that they are not selling any of the following prohibited items as agreed by parties on December 6, 2011.”
Both parties have listed vegetables, fruits, rice and corn, canned goods, noodles, dried fish, eggs and other poultry products as the prohibited items in NTC.
Singco’s order is in relation to the civil case filed by spouses Jesus and Nieves Nacario, owners of NTC, against Fernandez, city legal officer Own Algoso and the rest of the members of the city council.
The Nacario couple has asked the court to declare the city’s cease and desist order on the operations of NTC null. The couple also asked the court to issue a writ of preliminary injunction against the order.
In November last year, Fernandez issued the cease and desist order on NTC after it was reportedly discovered that there were stalls inside this private market in barangay Tabunok which were engaged in selling items similar to those that were found in the Lagtang Public Market.
Under the circumstances, NTC has reportedly become a direct competitor to the public market especially that it is on a very vantage location, in which vendors there have also blamed the operation of this private establishment as one of the reasons that their sales are not picking up.
The mayor’s order was also based on the ground that NTC has no business permit.
Bas said the affected stallholders are allowed to transfer to the new market in Lagtang, where allegedly they also control some stalls there.
The city had waived the rental fees of all stalls in Lagtang Public Market since the vendors were moved there in August last year.
“The main purpose of this closure is to help those in Lagtang Public Market, and to give justice to them,” said Bas.
There were reportedly more than 130 stalls affected by this court order.
Meanwhile, Singco has ordered Fernandez and Bucao to appear before her court on February 22 “for a categorical agreement as to the extent of the operation of preliminary injunction. (FREEMAN)