Mayor junks vendors’ plea to return to sidewalks

By: Emme Rose Santiagudo

Iloilo City Mayor Mayor Jerry Treñas was unmoved by the pleas of vendors to return to the sidewalks this Christmas.

“May ara kita ordinance (prohibiting the use of sidewalks in the city) that has been approved several years ago. If may authority ako sa SP then pwede ako kahatag pagligwa sa ordinance. Considering wala na sang session, so waay ako authority and I cannot go beyond what is provided for in the law,” Treñas said in an interview on Monday.

Sidewalk vendors in Iloilo City appealed to return to the sidewalks from Dec 16-31, 2019 to earn money for Christmas.

Their request, however, was shelved by the City Council on Thursday for lack of legal basis.

The SP also reiterated that the proposal of the sidewalk vendors might contravene the directive of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) on road clearing.

“Kon pasahan naton ordinansa daw ma-counter kita sa DILG mandate of clearing the sidewalks,” Councilor Jay Treñas said.

DILG-6 regional director Ariel Iglesia also stood firm on the road clearing mandate of DILG.

“We stand by the policy of the department as stipulated in the na public roads and public places are for public use. It is beyond the commerce of men. Hindi pa rin pwedeng gamitin dahil bahagi pa rin ito ng roads clearing na ginagawa ng DILG sa LGUs so bawal talaga,” he reiterated.

Iglesia said sidewalk vendors also sent a letter to their office but he reiterated that the decision is still up to the mayor.

“May sulat talaga sa amin pero sagot namin sa vendors na it will be the mayor who will decide,” he said.

The city government ordered vendors to vacate the sidewalks as part of road clearing operations ordered by the national government.

The vendors were transferred to the 2,700-square-meter property of Panay Electric Company (PECO) on JM Basa Street.

Sidewalk vendors made the appeal claiming that some of their children were forced to stop schooling due to low income.

“Ang rason ko indi ko ya mauntat manuktok sa ila pwertahan kag indi ko ya mauntat please and please sa ila para mahatagan kami blessing kag para sa akon nga mga myembro,” Niel Dichupa, president of the Sidewalk Vendors Association of Iloilo City said on Friday.

When asked about the possibility of opening the sidewalks for the sidewalk vendors during Dinagyang Festival next year, the mayor said he is still uncertain.

“I don’t know. Those are difficult decisions which we have to make as a mayor,” he said.