Federation of San Pablo Market Retailers, Inc. (SPMRI), umalma na

Ginigipit ng kapitolyo?

Ulat ni Dodie C. Banzuela

Umalma na ang miyembro ng Federation of San Pablo Market Retailers, Inc. (SPMRI) hinggil sa diumano’y “panggigipit ng kapi-tolyo” na magbayad sila ng “bente pesos na market fee” araw-araw at kung hindi’y ipa-padlock ang kanilang stall. Napag-alaman pa rin nila na sisingilan sila ng P10,000.00 per square meter para sa rights.

SERVICE ROAD. Minsan na ring napabalik ito sa mga namamalengke sa panahon ni dating Mayor Boy Aquino. Ngayon, muling naangkin ito ng mga ambulant vendors. Maibalik pa nga kaya ito sa mga mamamayan?

“Papaano kami kikita ‘eh hanggang ngayon ang gulo ng operasyon ng palengke?,” ayon sa ilang miyembro ng pedersayon.

Dahilan doon, sa pamamagitan ni Atty. Venancio M.Villanueva, legal counsel ng pederasyon, pormal silang nagpadala ng sulat kay Mayor Vicente B. Amante at inihayin ang kanilang mga karaingan.

Minarapat ng DERETSO na ilathala ang nasabing liham para na rin sa kabatiran ng mga miyembro ng pederasyon at publiko. Ika-27 ng Setyembre 2005 ang petsa ng nasabing liham.

Dear Mayor Amante,

Our client the Federation of San Pablo Market Retailers, Inc. (SPMRI) which members numbering 771 legitimate stall holders at the public market, and all victims of the 1992 fire ,who are paying religiously their dues is requesting your office to look into the following matters affecting it’s members peaceful occupancy of their respective stall which endanger their means of livelihood and subject them from harassments from ambulant vendors who are being tolerated by the City Government inspite of their flagrant violation of the market code approved by the City, to wit:

1. Of all ambulant vendors only 32% are from San Pablo City – meaning the rest don’t vote nor pay taxes in the city.

2. As per Treasurer’s record only 62 are legitimate ambulants.

3. This condition – meaning ambulants occupying the service road, lobby, Paterno St. sidewalks of Regidor and Flores Sts. had been in existence since 1998 – up to the present, was cleaned for a while during Mayor Aquino’s term but came back with a vengeance after last election.

4. The lobby which should have been a communal space to be used partly as precinct for both police and PSAF (since no space was provided in the whole public market for these peace and order personnel) is fully occupied by ambulant vendors obstructing the elevator doors.

5. Service Road was designed and intended to be used for loading/unloading of merchandise and the buying public.

6. Ambulants create so much ear splitting noise due to non-stop simultaneous playing of CD tapes of vendors, showing pornographic tapes in their stalls for public viewing, chaos, dirt, snatching, unruly behaviour like public display of gambling, beer drinking spree.

7. Rugby boys do their thing right in front of the PSAF ( Public Safety Assistance Force) causing concern and fear for the buying public.

8. There is so much illegal electrical tapping which might cause fire.

9. The first floor of the the newly constructed Mall 2 is more than spacious to house all the above mentioned ambulant vendors.

10. In the meantime that the aforementioned problems have not been resolved payments of daily stalls are being collected and deposited to the bank as sign of good faith of SPMRI.

We would like to refer your office to Section 28 of the Market Code which provides :

“SECTION 28. USE OF SIDEWALK AND HALLWAY – Unless otherwise specified aisles (pacillos) sidewalks, path spaces intended for people to pass should not be used by stallholders and ambulant vendors for displaying their wares or merchandise. It is the duty of the Market Superintendent or his representatives to see to it that this section shall be strictly implemented by the stall holders and ambulant vendors. Violation of this section shall be punished by a fine of five pesos (P5.00) but not more than fifteen pesos (P15.00) or imprisonment of five days but not more than fifteen (15) days or both a discretion of the court.”

In this request therefore and in the interest of justice may we request your office to immediately take action on the complaints of our Clients.

We will certainly appreciate your favorable action on this matter, I remain.

Copy Furnished: Hon. ANGELO REYES, Secretary, Department of Interior and Local Government, Quezon City; Miss FE ABRIL, Market Superintendent, San Pablo City Shopping Mall, San Pablo City, Laguna; Mr. ABI YU, Chairman, Market and Slaughterhouse Committee, Sangguniang Panglungsod, San Pablo City, Laguna