Market boss unhappy with unannounced inspection

CEBU, Philippines - Mandaue City market administrator Mosoulini Soliva is disappointed with the Consumers Rights and Economic Welfare (CREW) for conducting an inspection of the Mandaue City public market Tuesday without informing his office. 

Soliva, during a press conference yesterday, said the group should have coordinated with his office, which would have given him the chance to know how it arrived at the conclusion that most weighing scales at the public market are tampered.

Soliva said his office also conducts random inspections of weighing scales, wondering how the group arrived at such a conclusion.

As far as he is concerned, all the market vendors follow the same standard weights provided by the Department of Trade and Industries (DTI).

Before vendors could use their weighing scales, these have to be inspected and then sealed by his office, he said.

"Hinuon duna dyud poy mga watsinanggo nga mga vendors nga moliso sa ilang timbangan busa mopahigayon ta ug random inspection but we don't tolerate this if mapamatud-an there's a corresponding penalty for that," Soliva said.

Penalties for those found to have tampered or defective weighing scales are P500 for first offense, P750 for the second offense, and P1000 and cancellation of contract lease for the third offense.

Soliva said from February to October this year 17 weighing scales found to be tampered or defective were seized.

Last Wednesday, CREW said majority of vendors in the public market own defective weighing scales. (FREEMAN)