Talisay won't employ force to move market vendors to new market

CEBU, Philippines - Talisay City Mayor Socrates Fernandez yesterday assured that the city government will not use force this June 28 when all vendors will finally be transferred to the new public market in barangay Lagtang.

“We will use no force. We’ll exhaust all peaceful means just to bring them here,” said Fernandez in a press conference at the new market in Lagtang.

Fernandez yesterday told reporters that if the vendors will have no more “legitimate concerns” that may delay the scheduled transfer, by June 28, the city government will close the Tabunok Public Market by barricading it.

The mayor said if the vendors would still refuse to move out from the facility, the city may request for police assistance, not to intimidate them but to “peacefully carry” them out of the market.

As of yesterday, there were only 139 vendors who have applied for stalls in the new market. There are reportedly more than 900 vendors in the Tabunok market.

Budget Officer Edgardo Mabunay said the raffling of the stalls, for fairness, has already been set days before the transfer. And if the rest of the Tabunok vendors, who are the city’s priority, would still fail to submit the requirements (business permit, clearance from the treasurer’s office that they are paying their taxes promptly), their slots will be given to new applicants.

Fernandez said there are several individuals who are interested to rent stalls in the new market. The new facility has 213 stalls for dry goods and more than 300 for the meat, vegetable and fish sections.

Gale Cabigas of the city’s Cooperative Office said that it is not true that there are 900 vendors. The protesting vendors may have included the ambulant ones in this count, she said.

Meanwhile, while the city officials toured the media in the 2.7-hectare facility, several vendors armed with placards staged a protest in front of the Tabunok Public Market.

They appealed to Fernandez to cancel the transfer, which they fear would make them poor.

But Fernandez insisted that if the vendors’ reasons are for “their personal interests” the transfer will materialize next week especially now that Regional Trial Court (RTC) Judge Douglas Marigomen of Branch 5 has denied their preliminary injunction. – THE FREEMAN