THE City Government of Bacolod is conducting an investigation on the illegal selling of “ukay-ukay” (used clothing) at the downtown area on January 1.
Executive Assistant Ernie Pineda, head of the market coordinating and monitoring task force, said on January 2 that a security guard assigned at the old city hall informed him that several transient vendors installed improvised stalls at the said area.
The vendors occupied a portion of Araneta-Luzuriaga Streets and from Luzuriaga Street towards Gatuslao Street.
“They were illegal vendors because they failed to secure a special permit from the city government. We were surprised that they were there (selling) and we are investigating it,” Pineda said.
Last year, the city government did not allow the ukay-ukay vendors to sell along the old city hall.
He said he will also refer this issue to the City Legal Office for the filing of charges against the vendors.
“They (vendors) just decided on their own to sell in the areas,” he said.
In spite of their presence, Pineda said the vendors did not cause traffic because it’s a holiday.
“This will be our lesson and hopefully, it will not happen again,” he said.