These ambulant vendors at the vicinity of the Agdao Public market consisting of Muslims and Christians know exactly when to air their complaints against what they call as continuing demolition and confiscation of their merchandise allegedly by people from the local government.
Yes, according to the vendors, while they are being asked to pay certain amount every time they display their wares at the vicinity of the market, still, their displays are being demolished and sometimes their merchandise mostly vegetables, are being confiscated. If not, these are damaged because of the haste in transferring or moving of their goods.
In their protest-rally held at the Rizal Park just a few meters away from City Hall three days ago, they asked Mayor Baste Duterte to go slow in the demolition as this is denying them of their right to eke out a living.
Indeed we agree that the vendors deserve to be allowed to find their livelihood. But at the same time we are in accord with what the demolition team from the City government is doing. After all the team is just doing its job. That is, to maintain orderliness in the city’s major markets including the Agdao Public market.
We see however, what could be totally wrong with the conduct of the demolition – the claim by the vendors that they are paying certain amount so they be allowed to display their wares. By the way, to whom are the vendors paying? Are they issued official receipts or cash tickets as normally practiced in the markets?
Yes, it is totally unfair for the vendors to chip out money so they be allowed to sell their stuff only to be driven away latter in the day.
And if indeed it is true that they are paying for their space to sell their wares then the lowly vendors must expose who are the ones receiving the money and present their receipts or tickets to the proper authorities to prove their claim.
Honestly we are very much aware of this racket by some market officials. That is, producing their own cash tickets and issue the same to the vendors. The money in exchange to the cash tickets? Well, where else will it go but to the collector..
So if none in the demolition team is a party to the racket naturally the demolition continues without let-up.
Now the vendors, specifically those from Agdao Public Market, are pleading their case with mayor Baste. And the likelihood? The Mayor will possibly look into and give in to their demand. Election time is fast approaching and the Mayor who is running for Vice Mayor to his father, cannot afford to alienate the Agdao vendors. They are just too many to ignore.
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Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio said in an interview in Butuan City that she is dismayed with the apparent scrapping of some big-ticket infrastructure projects in Mindanao. She mentioned specifically the Mindanao Railway Project (MRP) the Phase 1 of which with a length of 100.2 kilometers was supposed to have been started as early as 2019.
According to the VP in 2023 then Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno wrote the Chinese ambassador in the Philippines informing him that the government was not anymore pursuing the funding request it made to China through its Official Development Assistance (ODA) for the financing of the MRP.
The VP’s dismay is further heightened when the government of Marcos Jr. did not include any amount in this year’s national budget for counterpart to any funding secured for the MRP from other countries.
There is however, something that many would think a bit intriguing and seemingly ambivalent with what is happening to the so-called united push for development when the VP ran in tandem with the President.
In the same media interview in Butuan City last November 20 she said, “Masakit sa loob ko (It pains me because I ran on a platform of continuity and unity, particularly on the ‘Build, build, build’ program of the previous administration of President Duterte).”
Now it is on this statement by the VP that many may raise the question, What happen to the UNITY mantra of the UniTeam when it was made the campaign promise of the then tandem of now President BBM and VP Sara?
Who scuttled the UNITY?
There is no doubt that both the teams of the President and the VP will be passing the buck to each other. And it is only the top leadership of both groups who knows exactly who abandoned the desire to be united in bringing development to the country.
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