Illegal vendors complain vs. clearing operations at Balintawak Market

Some illegal vendors whose stalls were closed down after clearing operations in the Balintawak Market in Quezon City have protested the local government's move, a report from GMA's “24 Oras” said Saturday.

 

The report said the vendors who were driven away from the feeder road they were illegally occupying argued that they were paying rent for their stalls there.

 

But police went ahead with the clearing operations and trucks hauled away the vendors' stalls and tables blocking tthe street.

 

Authorities will conduct another clearing operations at the Balintawak Market on Sunday.

 

The local government of Quezon City earlier said it will shut down the Balintawak Market after it failed sanitary inspections.

 

“Tutal meron naman tayong eight public markets kung sino man ang maaapektuhan diyan na vendors na ligal eh tutulungan natin. Ngayon, ang illegal vendors diyan eh tutuluyan naman natin,” Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista said.

 

Bautista himself gave the one week deadline for the more than 300 legal vendors to prepare for the closure. — Andrei Medina/JDS, GMA News