BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan called on leaders of the Muslim community in the city to advise their followers to behave and follow local ordinances or else they will find themselves being charged with violations of local issuances among other penalties that could be imposed upon them.
Domogan made the remarks after a series of encounters between members of the Public Order and Safety Division (POSD) and a good number of Muslim vendors in the different parts of the city over the past several days that resulted to the infliction of injuries to individuals coming from both camps.
He underscored the city government in the implementation of its anti-peddling policy irregardless on who will be affected in order to sustain the cleanliness in the public market and along sidewalks and parks located within the central business district area.
“When we are in the city, we must learn to obey the laws being implemented irregardless of religious affiliations because the laws are for everybody to follow,” Domogan stressed.
He emphasized no one is exempted from the implementation of laws and local ordinances because it will result to the greater benefit of the majority of local residents and not for a few sectors alone.
In the recent encounter between POSD members and Muslim vendors along Mabini St., the local chief executive asserted it was clear that the vendors were earlier warned not to extend their temporary stalls along the sidewalk to avoid congestions among pedestrians.
However, when POSD operatives went back to the area the following day, they found out that the Muslim vendors again over extended their stalls which prompted the operatives to confiscate their goods and loaded the same to their service vehicle.
Because of their desire to take back their confiscated goods from the POSD operatives, the group of Muslim vendors, who called for augmentation from other Muslim vendors doing business in the different parts of the city, blocked the path of the POSD service vehicle which started the trouble.
“We will not tolerate the misdeeds of our POSD personnel but we have to look deeper into the details of the incident before making conclusions,” Domogan said.
Domogan cited if Muslim vendors or those coming from other provinces are interested to do business in the city, then they must abide by existing polices in order to instil law and order citywide.
He welcomed the request of several groups of Muslim vendors for continuing consultations and dialogue with city officials in relation to the city’s anti-peddling policy, saying that the all-out campaign against illegal peddlers is part of the city’s approach to ensure cleanliness in the public market and along sidewalks.
According to him, erring sidewalk vendors must follow the rules that are being enforced by POSD personnel and not to try to circumvent such rules or take it for granted since the local government means business in its successful anti-peddling drive over the past several months.
Domogan said he is open to listen to reports against POSD personnel but he appealed to those providing him with information not to fabricate information against the operatives because it is easy to detect who is lying. By Dexter A. See