Tampered scales seized but no vendors charged

Over a thousand tampered weighing scales have been confiscated from vendors since 2003 but until now not one of them has been charged in court, says market administrator Elpidio dela Victoria.

From August to October alone 203 tampered scales were confiscated by the market authority from ambulant vendors in the Carbon, Pasil and Tabo-an public markets.

Dela Victoria said none of these ambulant vendors who sell fruits, vegetables, meat and fish, were penalized for the infractions as most of them flee whenever there is an operation and those caught give fictitious names.

He said that this illegal practice will only be stopped once the market ID system is in place. All vendors -ambulant or stallholders- will be required to secure an identification card from City Hall.

Dela Victoria also suggested that all bookkeepers transacting business at the City Treasurer's Office must be accredited at the said office to ensure that the public is not being deceived.

He came up with such suggestion after the stalls of 11 meat dealers in Carbon market were ordered closed by Mayor Tomas Osmeña after they were found using fake sanitary and business permits.

Dela Victoria said that the dealers executed an affidavit pointing to their bookkeeper, a certain Corazon Tumulak, as the one responsible. Tumulak can no longer be located.

"You see these people are victims themselves. They do not know that their permits are fake because they just leave all the work to the bookkeeper, whose whereabouts could no longer be traced," Dela Victoria said. - Mitchelle P. Calipayan