INVITATION TO APPEAR SNUBBED ANEW

OFFICIALS of the Dagupan City Market Administration and the supervisor of the Market  Marshal task force again snubbed the last invitation of the Sangguniang Panlungsod in connection with the latter’s continuing investigation on the complaint and related problems aired by the Small Fish Vendors and Consignment Association at the Magsaysay Fish Market.

In lieu of their presence, however, Randolph Ubando, OIC Market Supervisor, sent a letter to the SP to submit the specific issues that the council wants to discuss and responses will be provided. But it was not clear if the response will be made via the presence of the market officials or merely through another letter.

The request of the market supervisor was resented by the majority but nonetheless still acknowledged by four councilors.

Majority Floor Leader Michael Fernandez, Councilors Dennis Canto and Jose Netu Tamayo asked City Secretary Ryan Ravanzo, through SP presiding officer Vice Mayor Bryan Kua, to reply to Ubando and ask:

1. For the legal basis of his office in collecting P100 in cash ticket daily from fish vendors when it is P40 more than what the ordinance prescribes;
2. Why the small fish vendors association was being assessed P25,000 monthly;
3. Why were the vendors suddenly relocated to an area not accessible to market customers.

Councilor Tamayo, a lawyer, said the market officials must be told that the investigation being conducted by the SP into the problems at the Magsaysay Market is part of its oversight function as a legislative body and should not be questioned.

Councilor Teresa Coquia, chairman on the committee on health, said officials of the public market are in effect disrespecting the SP when they spurned the invitation of the body from the very beginning to appear in its sessions to clarify issues.

She said their continuous refusal to appear and account for their actions is an indication of their guilt and affirmation of the validity of the complaints aired by the vendors    against them.

Coquia, however, agreed to terminate the investigation of the complaints aired by the 18 small fish vendors led by Marietta Barrientos, after Councilor Celia Lim, mother of Mayor Brian Lim, again promised and assured the vendors that they will be allowed to sell in the area reserved to them by the city government and sell fish for 24 hours, not just three hours as dictated by the city hall.

Lim said she would attend to their calls for assistance should the harassment continue.

Earlier, Lim uploaded photos on zoom showing extent of lack of order and discipline in the market by small fish vendors at the Magsaysay Fish Market in a bid to justify the restrictions imposed on them.

Shiela Barrientos, a member of the complaining vendors, protested and deplored the photos uploaded by Councilor Lim, because the posted photos tended to show that it’s her group that’s disruptive, disorderly and law breakers when the vendors in the photos were in fact the favored vendors given the privilege to sell for 24 hours.

Her observation was shared by Danila Cayabyab, treasurer of the Dagupan Fish Consignacion and Ice  Dealer Association. (DAFCIDA) and of the Dagupan Market Vendors Association.

Cayabyab and Barrientos demanded from Councilor Lim to put her pledge of support in writing, so that they can sell fish for 24 hours in the area, and protecting them from the market marshals harassing them daily. (Leonardo Micua)

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