Manila police chief: Cops tolerating illegal street vendors to get ax

MANILA, Philippines — The chief of the Manila Police District (MPD) on Tuesday warned that the “ax will fall” on police officers accepting bribes for street vendors to continue their businesses, amid the road-clearing operations as ordered by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

Brig. Gen. Bernabe Balba, MPD director, said he has not received reports that police officers have been receiving bribes for street vendors to continue their operations.

“Mahigpit din ‘yung aking bilin sa kanila na never indulge themselves, kasi napakahina mo naman, parang hindi ka pa nakaramdam sa mga pinagsasabi dito, diba? Kaya mahigpit ‘yung ating bilin na huwag kayong ma-involve diyan, or else the ax will fall on you,” he said in a press briefing.

(My directive to them to never indulge themselves is strict because if you do that, it appears you are too slow to get what we are saying here, right? That’s why our directive for them not to be involved is strict, or else the ax will fall on them.)

On assuming office, Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso launched a crackdown against illegal vendors in the streets of the city.

The effort to clear primary and secondary roads of obstructions has since been expanded by the DILG nationwide upon the order of President Rodrigo Duterte in his State of the Nation Address in July.

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