A COMMOTION erupted in Mandaue’s old public market when an anti-squatting team from City Hall drove out ambulant vendors from sidewalks along B. Ceniza Street in barangay Centro last Tuesday evening.
The team leader fired a warning shot when vendors surrounded him and started pelting him with fish, pails, rocks and containers about 6:30 p.m.
Edmundo Maboloc, the team leader, said the trouble started when he started confiscating fish from the vendors.
Moments later, other vendors took their fish containers and laid them in front of the team’s vehicle.
“We felt insulted because while were confiscating their fish, the vendors brought containers of fish in front of our truck.,” said Maboloc.
He said the commotion started when he took the container of Magdalena Baclohan. The vendor took a pail and swung it at him but Maboloc dodged it.
Vendors then surrounded him and started throwing their fish, pails, rocks, and containers.
Maboloc, a retired soldier, immediately took his service firearm and fired a shot in the air.
He said he fired because he felt he was outnumbered and couldn’t see his team.
Maboloc said he lost his gold bracelet and sun glasses during the melee.
Charges of direct assualt will be filed against Baclohan today.
City Legal Officer Giovanni Tianero said the operation aimed to “to clear the sidewalk and give it back to the pedestrians” after they got complaints about fish vendors selling along B Ceniza Street in the early evening till dawn.
He said some vendors defy orders issued by traffic enforcers to vacate the sidewalks.
The vendors already have stalls in the new public market but continue to sell outside.
The confiscated fish and other perishable goods will be brought to the new public market and will be released to the owners within four hours.
If nobody claims it, the food will be donated to the jails.
The clearing of sidewalks against illegal vendors will be intensified, Tianero said.