The Cebu City Market Operations Division has destroyed almost a thousand defective weighing scales on Tuesday, November 10, 2020. | Photo Courtesy of Cebu City PIO
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu City Market Operations Division (COD) has destroyed almost 1,000 illegal weighing scales seized from the Carbon Market which were not registered during the designated registration period last October 2020.
MOD head Irvin Cabales told the vendors that it is a necessity that the weighing scales are registered to ensure that they are measured right and avoid cheating out shoppers.
Cabales also said that one defective weighing scale used to cheat a customer would destroy the reputation of the entire market unit as customers would already associate cheating with the vendors there in general.
He urged the vendors to register their weighing scales to avoid these being confiscated and destroyed just like the ones disposed of on Tuesday morning, November 10, 2020.
Of the 5,000 vendors in Carbon Market, only 1,500 were able to register their weighing scales last October 2020 of which 124 were found defective. The MOD collected a total of P66,524 in registration fees.
Cabales told CDN Digital that the ceremonial destruction of the weighing scales was a warning to the vendors who continue to cheat that the MOD will not stop until no defective weights are found in the city’s markets.
“Luoy kaayo ang consumers nato nga nagsigeg palit nya nailad lang kay gikwaan na ang timbang. Padayon gyod ta sa pagsugpo aning mga weighing scales nga gigamit pagpanikas,” said Cabales.
(The customers suffer because they keep on buying without knowing that the weight was cheated out. We will continue our campaign against illegal weighing scales used for cheating.)
The MOD urged the vendors to register their weighing scales so that they will not be cited during inspections.
If a vendor is caught with an unregistered weighing scale three times in separate inspections, his/her stall faces closure pending the review of the case by the City Legal Office.
Aside from that, he/she could be fined P1,000 for violating market regulations.
With this, Cabales urged the vendors to simply follow regulations so as to avoid the consequences of possessing a defective weighing scale. /rcg