BACOLOD City — The City Legal Office (CLO) here has denied allegations that members of the City Enforcement Team assaulted a 63-year-old sidewalk vendor during a routine inspection and clearing operation near Libertad Public Market.
City Legal Officer Atty. Karol Joseph Chiu said the enforcement team acted with caution and exercised maximum tolerance while carrying out their duties.
The incident occurred at around 6:52 a.m. on January 15, 2026, when members of the enforcement team approached the vendor for refusing to remove her camote products that were obstructing the road at the corner of Lizares Street and Amelia Avenue, in front of the University of Negros Occidental–Recoletos (UNO-R).
Chiu said the confrontation led to the confiscation of the vendor’s sack of camote products, after which the vendor allegedly attacked three enforcement personnel as tensions escalated.
Closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage reviewed by the CLO reportedly shows the complainant repeatedly punching a male enforcement personnel, who was seen parrying the blows, contrary to claims that the vendor was assaulted by the enforcement team.
The footage also showed fellow vendors restraining the complainant and preventing her from further attacking the personnel.
Chiu emphasized that the enforcement team had repeatedly warned vendors occupying and obstructing the street at around 6 a.m. prior to the incident.
“We respect and recognize our sidewalk vendors, but their actions must adhere to established guidelines to maintain order in public spaces, especially in market areas,” Chiu said.
City Ordinance No. 1009, series of 2022, regulates ambulant vendors and designated vending zones to ensure cleanliness and prevent unauthorized structures along city streets.
Meanwhile, City Ordinance No. 810, series of 2017, mandates the CLO, through the City Enforcement Team, to clear roads within city limits of illegal structures considered public nuisances and potential hazards to pedestrians, motorists, and vendors.
The CLO said clearing operations in the area will continue to remove obstructions that contribute to traffic congestion./PN
