TAHO (soya pudding) vendor Benedick Seño is set to face the City Legal Office Friday, February 15, to give his testimony.
Seño has been called by the City Legal Office as part of the ongoing investigation into the incident at the botanical garden area on February 2.
Personnel of the Public Order and Safety Division (POSD) are in hot water over allegations of abuse against Seño after a video clip of his encounter was uploaded via social media.
In a press conference, Baguio Mayor Mauricio Domogan said initial investigation showed Seño has been apprehended thrice by the POSD and holds a permit for the Navy base area, not the Botanical Park.
Domogan said based on testimonies of the POSD, Seño has been called out many times not to sell his wares in the area. The incident on February 2 was the fourth time that the vendor violated rules.
The mayor said the side of Seño will be taken to gauge the situation and allow the City Legal Office to rule on the matter.
On February 18, Seño and the POSD team were called to appear before the city council which conducted an investigation into the incident in a move by Councilor Edgar Avila.
Seño related that on February 2, at around 1 p.m., he was selling taho in the Botanical Garden along Leonard Wood Road, Baguio City when four personnel (one female and three male) of the POSD came and accosted him.
Seño then told the POSD personnel that he holds a permit to sell in that area and showed it to them. Upon saying this, they backed off and proceeded to return to their service vehicle parked across the street.
Seño also decided to leave and flagged down a taxi. Before he got in the taxi, he placed his taho containers in the baggage compartment of the vehicle.
He was already seated in front when the POSD, the same personnel who accosted him a few minutes earlier, suddenly opened the rear door of the taxi and started to grab his containers.
Alarmed by what he saw, Seño alighted from the taxi and immediately went to the back side of the vehicle to prevent the POSD from taking his containers but the POSD still insisted on confiscating the said containers despite his plea for consideration.
Seño said they scrambled for the containers to the extent that the contents were spilled on the sidewalk. The POSD was able to take hold of one of his containers and took it to their vehicle. They then told Seño to claim it at their office at Baguio City Hall.
Seño said he has yet to claim his taho container not only because of time and financial constraints "but because he feels frightened as a result of his traumatic experience with the POSD."
Seño also works as a security guard Mondays to Fridays, a taho vendor on Saturdays and Sundays, and a barangay tanod in the evening.
Domogan said he is waiting for the progress of the investigation as he stressed the importance of the POSD in curbing illegal actions by vendors.