MANILA, Philippines — Former Manila city hall administrator Ericson Alcovendaz has expressed disbelief over Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso’s claim that he was offered P5 million per day to drop his promise to get vendors out off the city’s main roads.
“Ako ho e parang hindi ako makapaniwala na nagkaroon ng ganung tangka na suhulan siya (I couldn’t believe that there’s an attempt like that to bribe him),” Alcovendaz said in an interview over radio station DZMM.
“Mawalang galang kay Mayor Isko baka ginu-good time lang siya kung nagkaroon man ng ganung alok. Baka ginu-good time lang siya ng kanyang nakausap (With due respect to Mayor Isko, he may be just being taken for a ride),” he added.
READ: Moreno: I was offered P5M daily to stop drive vs vendors
Alcovendaz explained that vendors pay a hawker’s fee of P20 per day, which goes to the city budget. But some vendors even have a hard time paying this small amount, which makes Moreno’s claim of having been offered a bribe of P5 million per day hard to believe.
“’Yung mga vendor kadalasan nakikiusap pa sa mga collector natin na kung pwede ho e P10 na lang muna ang ibabayad ngayong araw at kinabukasan e pupunuin na lang at gagawing P30 ang ibabayad nya,” Alcovendaz said.
(The vendors would even ask collectors to allow them to pay only P10 for the day, with a promise to pay the balance the following day.)
“Hirap na hirap silang magbayad ng bente pesos kaya parang hindi ko ho maisip kung paanong magkakaroon ng suhol na aabot sa halagang P5 milyon. Kasi ho kung kekwentahin natin, kung mayroong 100,000 vendors, P50 ho yun kada vendor para maka-P5 million e yun nga hong P20 para sa lungsod, hindi nila nababayaran ng buo araw-araw,” he added.
(It’s hard for them to pay P20, so I cannot imagine a P5-million bribe daily. It would take 100,000 vendors paying P50 a day to come up with that amount. But the P20 is even hard for some vendors to comply with.)
Asked why they were not able to remove vendors from Manila’s streets during the time of former mayor Joseph Estrada, Alcovendaz explained that they also conducted clearing operations, but the vendors would just put their stalls back up the following day.
He added that they round up vendors selling on side streets and even go as far as confiscating their goods, but they’ll go to Mayor Erap to plead their case.
“Dahil ang sitwasyon ng kababayan natin na mahihirap, parang kapag hindi ka naasting sa salita, parang wala ka namang damdamin nyan (Because we know the situation of most of our countrymen who are poor, it makes you look bad if you don’t feel their plight),” Alcovendaz said. (Editor: Eden Estopace)
READ: Busy Manila roads still vendor-free