Monday, January 01, 2007 Charges vs trade fair organizers unlikely: Reyes
THE filing of charges against organizers of the recent trade fair at the Malcolm Square is not likely to happen, said Public Order and Safety Division head Emmanuel Reyes said.
He explained that the main concern of the city government is to rid the parks of trade fairs during months when they are prohibited.
"The mayor's main issue is for them to get out because they violated the resolution issued by the City Council," Reyes told Sun.Star, echoing the acting mayor's contention that the permit issued to them was to conduct activities related to their barangay fiesta and not a trade fair as what was previously done.
Last Wednesday, trade fair participants voluntarily packed up after Judge Edilberto Claravall denied their petition for the issuance of a temporary restraining order.
The participants however vowed they would seek a refund from the organizers as they were guaranteed (by the organizers) to stay until January 2.
Participants reportedly paid P8,300 to P10,000, but none wanted to say as to whom they remitted their payments even as a certification from the Office of the City Treasurer revealed that no permits were issued to the group.
Sun.Star tried to get the comment of Hiro, a Japanese businessman whom one vendor identified as one of the organizers, but said his only participation was in renting out the makeshift tents used by the participants during the trade fair.
An inventory done by the POSD revealed that there were 115 tents put-up, including those erected along the sidewalk near the area.
Through a letter from Malcolm Square Punong Barangay William Domogen, the City Council through Resolution 291-2006 passed on November 13, 2006 permitted the barangay to use Malcolm Square as venue for "several activities" as part of the celebration of their fiesta, provided they comply with Sections 9 and 11 of the Trade Fair Ordinance.
Section 9 states that organizers should not charge excessive fees from the participants and that each participant should secure individual business permits. Section 11, meanwhile, mandates the organizers to submit a terminal report containing the sales performance, activities and issues to the Mayor's Office, City Council and the Department of Trade and Industry.
Among the "several activities" listed in Domogen's October 27 letter is the conduct of seminars, singing contest, trade fair and lectures.
Instead of vetoing the resolution, Acting Mayor Reinaldo Bautista Jr. returned the unsigned resolution to the Office of the City Secretary. Bautista said in an earlier press statement that a resolution could not supersede an ordinance.(Rimaliza Opiña)
