Fresnedi to clear Alabang sidewalks

Muntinlupa City Mayor Jaime Fresnedi vowed to clear the sidewalks of Alabang of illegal structures as vendors’ groups staged a picket at the City Hall to denounce the ongoing drive to recover the sidewalks.

During the rally, Muntinlupa police chief, Chief Inspector Rolando Navarro, warned the vendors that they can no longer conduct their trade on the sidewalks because their structures, stalls or push carts often cause the horrendous traffic jam in Alabang.

Currently, the roads in Alabang to the South Luzon Expressway are clear as "crystal" due to the massive clearing of sidewalks done by the city police.

Thousands of motorists were impressed by Fresnedi’s move because the previously traffic-laden Alabang viaduct area is now a smooth flowing major thoroughfare in Muntinlupa, officials said.

Navarro said the vendors threaten to hold rallies to protect their "illegal" vending rights, but he said the government could no longer entertain their pleas because the welfare of the majority should be prioritized. These vendors, he said, have been violating the anti-vending ordinances since 1997, despite frequent warnings and reminders from authorities.

The police chief said the vendors were given a safe alternate area to do their business in, in the basement of the Metropolis Mall in Alabang, but they were reluctant to move due to lack of customers visiting the mall.