THE Cebu City United Vendors Association (CCUVA) and workers of Barangay Ermita staged a protest in front of Cebu City Hall yesterday afternoon to condemn the acts of Mayor Tomas Osmeña.
The groups expressed their disapproval over the move of Mayor Osmeña to terminate the cash aid for barangay workers, and the alleged continuing harassment committed by market administrator Winefredo Miro against vendors of the Carbon Public Market.
Ermita barangay captain Felicisimo Rupinta said the termination of honorarium of barangay workers and the recall of service vehicles could hamper the delivery of services to their constituents. He also added that order and security, cleanliness, and social services offered by the barangays may be compromised.
Rupinta said the mini-buses recalled by the city government have been earning income to augment the barangay’s operational expenses.
Meanwhile, CCUVA chairperson Joe Racaba expressed frustration over the alleged harassment and intimidation committed by Miro against the Carbon Public Market vendors. Miro allegedly asked the vendors not to attend the meetings of CCUVA, which Racaba said was a violation of law.
Racaba also expressed disgust over the closure of the CCUVA office in Carbon Public Market and how Miro was encouraging vendors not to pay their monthly fees to CCUVA.
Miro denied that he barred members from attending meetings of CCUVA, but admitted that he encouraged them not to pay their monthly dues to CCUVA as they were also paying dues to their own vendor organizations. Both the members of CCUVA and the barangay workers have passed a position paper to Mayor Osmeña and the city council. /UP Cebu Intern Patrick Byron G. Gattoc