“HINDI porke matagal na, atin na.”
Thus stressed Manila Mayor Isko Moreno, as he called on those who have been obstructing the streets for so long to yield once the city government decides to take them back and put them to proper use.
Moreno’s pronouncement came after being shown a video of a woman who was engaging City Hall personnel in an argument as she questioned their right to remove obstructions on the street which she and her family had been using as their vending site.
Clearing operations are being conducted daily by the department of public services under Kenneth Amurao and the city engineer’s office headed by Engineer Armand Andres to ensure that the streets are restored to the purpose for which they were intended, which is for the use of the public, both motorists and pedestrians.
The woman, while attempting to stop the City Hall personnel from clearing the streets of obstruction which primarily included her wares, said their family had been peddling in the said area for over 60 years already and insisted that as such, they could not be told to vacate the street.
“Ang pinakamabisang gawin, pag binabawi na ng gobyerno ang kalye at ibinabalik na sa pangkalahatan, pasalamat tayo dahil para sa taumbayan ‘yan. Di ko kayo masisi sa maling katwiran dahil sa mga nagdaang panahon ay kinunsinti kayo. Ako, di magiging tama araw-araw pero magiging makatwiran ako araw-araw,” Moreno said.
He added: “Pag pinakinabangan na ng matagal na panahon, salamat. Pero kung ibabalik na ng gobyerno sa tao, siguro naman karapatan ng mga tao na magamit ang kalsada. Wala pong trespassing.. kalsada po ‘yun ‘nay.”
The mayor noted that the said vendor had used nearly the entire street for her vending activities for so many years so that she now thinks that she owns the said street.
“Ako ay nananawagan.. magkusa kayo.. gawin nating maaliwalas ang paligid at huwag nating hayaan na mabulok tayo dahil ang kabulukan ay naghihikayat ng kriminalidad,” Moreno said.
According to Moreno, a dirty and smelly place is indicative that there is no government and as such, it serves as an invitation to criminals and bad elements to make the said area a haven for their kind.
