Wednesday, May 07, 2008 Vendors protest sudden demolition
A GROUP of vendors trooped to the Davao City Council Tuesday seeking help as a demolition team swooped on stalls along Posadas Street at the Bankerohan Public Market unannounced.
"Nagkig-istorya man mi sa demolition team, ingon nila ugma pa mi i-demolish maong nanghipos mi karun. Pero nikalit lang sila ug abot unya gi-demolish mi diretso nga walay notice (We talked with the demolition team and they said that the demolition was to be done tomorrow (Wednesday), but they suddenly arrived and demolished our stalls)," Dionisia Suribas, one of the fruit vendors, said in an interview.
Suribas, who has been selling in the area since 1992, said that about 70 vendors are affected by the sudden demolition.
"Si Councilor (Rene) Galope man sa una ang nagtabang nga mabutang mi diha. Sa una, naa gyud mi stall sa sulod sa palengke pero human sa sunog ug gitukod ug balik ang palengke, wala na mi tagai ug luna (It was the late Councilor Rene Galope who facilitated our relocation there. We used to own stalls inside the market but when the market was reconstructed after it was burned, we were not given an area there)," Suribas said.
The vendors also claimed it was the market master who wanted them removed.
"Dugay na man ming nangayo ug relocation pero wala pa mi matagai hangtod karun. Maong wala mi nahawa diha kay naghulat mi sa relocation nga ihatag namo. Sila sila extend sa amo diha kay wala pa man relocation (We have been asking for relocation but we have not been given that until now, that's why we never left that area because we were waiting to be relocated. They kept on extending our stay there because they couldn't find any)," Suribas said.
City Economic Enterprises Chief Francisco Vales Jr., however, said the matter has been resolved through a dialogue Tuesday afternoon.
Vales, under whose office the management of public markets fall, added that the demolition request was made after vendors occupied even the roadway.
"Dapat one-third lang sa street ilang ma-occupy pero nag extend sila tapos nagbutang pa gyud ug mga trapal that is why gi-endorse namo ang matter sa Traffic Management Center which conducted the inspection and decided na i-remove gyud sila kay nakalapas man (They were allowed to occupy a third of the street but they have exceeded this and even put up tarpaulin roofs that's why we endorsed the matter to the Traffic Management Center who conducted an inspection and said that the structures should be removed)," Vales said.
As for the request for relocation, Vales said the vendors have been offered the second floor of the building section but they refused to take it. "Dili sila didto kay wala daw mamalit (They don't like it there because no one goes there)," Vales said.
The matter was settled with the promise of the vendors to stay within the one-third area allocation.
"Nagsabot na sa atubangan ni vice mayor. Nisugot sila so dili na sila pahawaon pero i-monitor gihapon kay kung makalapas, ipa-demolish jud (We have agreed on this in front of Vice Mayor Sara Duterte. We have allowed them to stay on, but we will continue to monitor them and if they again exceed the agreed on area, then they will be demolished)," Vales said. (GLP)
