A ROAD clearing operation in Cogon public market on Wednesday, December 18, turned vicious after several ambulant vendors refused to follow order and attacked the team, leaving a female traffic law enforcer wounded.
Members of the Roads and Traffic Administration (RTA) were supposed to clear the area in preparation for the holiday rush in the city's busiest public market when the street brawl happened.
Police are still identifying the vendors who mauled Nelie Mae Ramirez, 29, the traffic enforcer who sustained a black eye after the attack carried out by more than five vendors.
The clearing team seized the vegetables, fruits and other goods sold by the vendors.
Antonio Resma, spokesman of the city's clearing team, said they were in the area to inform vendors of the new traffic Christmas scheme.
Resma said under the new scheme, vendors are only allowed to sell from 6 p.m. to 5 a.m. in designated areas, and that selling is banned along JR Borja Street.
City Administrator Teddy Sabuga-a said they will pursue charges against the suspects and warned that vendors who will disobey the order will also face cases.
Sabuga-a said the vendors have been asking the City Government to allow them to sell from 6 p.m. until the whole morning during the holidays.
The vendors also asked to allow them to occupy half of the road until December 31.
But Sabuga-a said the City stands firm in its decision to only allow vendors in the street market from 6 p.m. to 5 a.m., despite the mauling incident.
He said the vendors' request would also contradict the order of President Rodrigo Duterte to clear all roads from obstruction. Approving their request would mean defying the President's orders, Sabuga-a said.
"Let's say i-approve for humanitarian reasons pero ma-suspended pud ang mayor kay wala ma-implement. Every Monday, we submit our accomplishment report to the DILG (Department of the Interior and Local Government) sa clearing operation, ing-ana ka strict ang monitoring to ensure nga ga-implement ta, so we have to follow it," he said.
(Let's say their request will be approved for humanitarian reasons, but the mayor will be suspended because the policy is not implemented. Every Monday, we submit our accomplishment report to the DILG about the clearing operation, that's how strict the monitoring is to ensure that it is being implemented, so we have to follow it.)
"We understand their demands pero dapat nasubay gihapon sa balaod," he added.
(We understand their demands but still, it must be in accordance to the policy.)
After the incident, Sabuga-a said security measures in Cogon market will be tightened. This is not an unusual incident in Cogon market. In 2017, Cris Cabingas, also an RTA officer, was shot dead while on duty at the market.