Syndicates behind illegal vendors in Manila – Atienza

MANILA, Philippines — Criminal syndicates are behind the operations of illegal vendors in Manila’s commercial centers, Buhay party-list Rep. Lito Atienza said on Saturday.

“Manila’s commercial centers are all syndicated,” Atienza said during the Saturday Forum at Annabel’s Restaurant in Quezon City.

“Iba yung Quiapo, iba yung Blumentritt, iba yung Carriedo, iba yung Avenida Rizal, iba ‘yang Divisoria,” Atienza went on.

[There’s one syndicate in Quiapo, another on Blumentritt, another on Carriedo, another on Rizal Avenue, another in Divisoria.]

According to him, Divisoria, which controlled by an “active syndicate,” is the “biggest money maker.”

Buhay party-list Rep. Lito Atienza at the weekly Saturday Forum at Annabel’s Restaurant in Quezon City on July 5, 2019. (Photo by KATRINA HALLARE / INQUIRER.net)

Atienza’s revelation comes after Manila Mayor Isko Moreno revealed that he was offered a bribe of P5 million a day if he would drop his promise to get rid of illegal vendors in the national capital’s congested main roads.

READ: Moreno: I was offered P5M daily to stop drive vs vendors

Asked if he did something to stop the criminal syndicates, Atienza answered that he and his colleagues in the local government “fought them to the nail every day.”

“As long as Isko’s working and fighting it out, it means di pa sila tumatanggap,” he said. “Pag tumahimik at bumalik ang kaguluhan, you can now conclude after hearing what I’m saying.”

[As long as Isko’s working and fighting it out, it means they’re not yet getting bribes. Once they become silent and chaos returns, you can now conclude after hearing what I’m saying.]

(Editor: Alexander T. Magno)