Group slams plan to ban vendors during APEC meet

MANILA, Philippines - A coalition of ambulant vendors condemned the plan of the Aquino administration to ban street vendors from making a living in Metro Manila during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit on Nov. 18 and 19.

Flor Santos, Metro Manila Vendors Alliance (MMVA) coordinator, claimed they were informed by Malacañang “insiders” that local government units (LGUs) would declare a “vendors’ holiday” during the summit.

“Street vendors live a hand-to-mouth existence. To deny them their daily earnings for three days without any alternative livelihood or government stipend is going to kill their families in a slow and painful manner,” Santos said yesterday.

She pointed out that during an APEC ministerial meeting in Cebu in August, violence erupted between the vendors and demolition teams sent to dismantle stalls outside a bus terminal.

Santos also said the Parañaque City government ordered the removal of all vendors from Baclaran and expanded the truck ban in anticipation of the APEC meeting.

In Manila, local officials told ambulant vendors that vending is banned even in areas that are far from the routes and venues of the APEC conference. The officials also warned that vendors who violate the ban could have their stalls dismantled and their wares confiscated.

Sanlakas party-list lawyer Aaron Pedrosa said government officials who will prevent the vendors from earning a living may be held administratively, civilly and criminally liable for obstruction of the right to livelihood of the street vendors under the Civil Code.

He said the Philippines is a signatory to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which stipulates the “right of everyone to the opportunity to gain his living by work which he freely chooses or accepts, and will take appropriate steps to safeguard this right.”