CEBU City Councilor Pastor “Jun” Alcover Jr. on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025, threatened to file a case against Mayor Nestor Archival for allowing the continued operation of the Colon Night Market despite alleged legal issues.
Alcover argued the market’s operation remains questionable and illegal without approval from the Garbo Asenso Sumbanan Alyansa (Gasa) sa Gugma Board, the body mandated by an ordinance to oversee it.
Archival had earlier said there were no compelling reasons to suspend the market’s operations despite questions raised about its legality and its failure to comply with City Ordinance 2386, which states that the Gasa sa Gugma Board is the policy-making and regulatory body tasked with planning and overseeing vending activities.
Archival has maintained that the mayor has the authority to issue special permits for temporary operations and argued that it would be unfair to suspend vendors who had already paid their dues to the City Government.
In an interview on Tuesday, Alcover questioned the mayor’s grasp of the issue.
“Does he really understand this, or does he simply fail to understand it?” Alcover asked.
Alcover claimed that some private organizers of the Colon Night Market have been charging vendors P6,000 monthly rent for stalls, a practice he described as irregular.
He said actual collections from stallholders should go directly to the City Treasurer’s Office through daily rental payments or “arkabala.”
“He’s (Archival) is the chairman of Gasa. Why are there stall fees that didn’t reach City Hall? Why were the stalls rented out as if the road, which belongs to the government, was privately owned? The P6,000 a month, who’s receiving that?” Alcover asked.
No consultation
Alcover said Archival only granted a special permit for the stalls but did not consult the City Council or the Gasa sa Gugma Board on other key matters such as organization, management, collection, and cleanliness.
He noted that the Participative Association of Sugbo Vendors Inc. (Pasvi), which was tapped to help manage the market, is not a registered group.
Alcover added that for the first time, four lanes of Colon St. have been closed for the night market, worsening traffic congestion and drawing complaints from motorists and nearby businesses.
“This can really be called a syndicate because we don’t even know who’s really in charge,” Alcover said, warning that monopoly and corruption could be involved.
“Mayor, if there is monopoly, there is corruption,” said Alcover.
Alcover also criticized Archival for refusing to convene the Gasa sa Gugma Board, which is mandated to regulate all informal vending activities in the city.
He said the problem lies in Archival’s refusal to convene the Gasa sa Gugma Board, despite being the chairman, making the board useless after the mayor bypassed it.
Alcover challenged Archival to fulfill his role and take responsibility as the board’s head.
He added that Archival’s justification that the previous Gasa board faces unresolved complaints and questions over unremitted collections is unacceptable. Instead, Alcover said the mayor should summon the former board and order a formal investigation.
“I don’t understand why he’s using a different reasoning, when it’s clearly stated in the ordinance that all plans or operations involving informal vendors must go through Gasa,” he said.
Alcover said he is seriously considering filing legal cases against Archival if the latter continues to allow the operation of the Colon Night Market without convening the board.
Alcover said he will consult his lawyers to determine what specific charges could be filed against Archival.
The Colon Night Market, a popular evening bazaar in the downtown area, resumed operations in early September 2025. While vendors have welcomed the move, questions over legality, accountability, and management continue to divide city officials. / CAV