Inday Sara wants the night market vendors out because they have become “undisciplined”.
Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio proves that more than the genes, her father, President Rodrigo Duterte, inherited her his leadership styles.
Duterte-Carpio punched an iron fist on the vendors along Roxas Street in Davao City after the Office of the City Mayor received complaints that they have gone undisciplined, leaving the street dirty after an all-night selling.
Inday Sara has ordered the closure of the popular night market starting Thursday night.
“I have ordered the closure of the night market because of a number of violations and complaints,” she said on Wednesday.
Over 700 vendors who sell various goods including food, ukay-ukay, accessories, as well as the masseurs who operate in the area will be affected by the closure order of the mayor.
The mayor acknowledges the significant contribution of the night market to their city’s economy. In 2015, the city earned P5.47 million in taxes, which is over a hundred percent increase from the P2.24 million in 2014. From January to July this year, the city has already earned around P2.98 million.
However, the mayor said she will not reopen the night market unless the vendors follow the rules.
The City Traffic and Transport Management Office started to send out leaflets to inform the affected vendors of the closure order.
CTTMO head Rhodelio Poliquit said that they will not personally talk to the vendors to prevent them from being mobbed.
“Mahirap kasi ‘pag nakipagkita ka sa kanila, kasi dudumugin ka,” he said.
Poliquit was the one who suggested for the closure order to the Carpio due to concerns on cleanliness and orderliness in the area.
He explained, “Gusto man gud unta namo nga ihan-ay sila pero lisod na sila sabuton ba, di na musunod tanan (We actually want to arrange their stalls so the street market would look good but they became unruly, some of them refuse to follow orders)”.