City Task Force versus Muslim Traders, Spoiled demolition hampers bloody clash

The presence of three considered ‘peace envoys’ from the City Council had eased the tension between the city’s anti-sidewalk task force and the Maranao Sidewalk Traders at the City Public Market lately.

City Vice Mayor Danny Menor along with City Councilors Jose Begil and Baltazar Abian mediated the nearly heated scenario where the demolition team armed with demolition tolls, dump trucks, fire trucks deployed by the city government to destroy the almost 50 stalls owned by the muslim traders was being hampered in the name of peace.

Muslim traders headed by Atty. Malik Sultan appealed with authorities to hold in abeyance the scheduled demolition following the given ultimatum by the city’s anti-sidewalk task force to the said traders to voluntarily transfer their stalls in the relocation site near the Bus and Jeepney Terminal in Barangay Luna as the identified place by the city government for their relocation.

In the blistering heat dialogue conducted inside the city public market, Menor with the two Councilors along with Mr. Cesar Concepcion, head of the city anti-sidewalk task force and Atty. Sultan have come up with a compromise agreement to hold the force demolition and implement the maximum tolerance, as per telephone call instruction from City Mayor Ernesto Matugas.

The said compromise agreement bares that the scheduled demolition will be put on hold for as long as the muslim traders could submit a written undertaking signed by the stall holders together with City Councilor Begil with a given period which said undertaking would expressly emphasize that until such time where the Gaisano Mall in Barangay Luna will soon be operational, those muslim traders at the public market will voluntarily relocate to the designated site near the bus terminal.

Vice Mayor Menor also emphasized that the city government will tolerate the appeal for the last time in the name of peace.

Atty. Malik Sultan had expressed gratitude for the maximum tolerance given to the muslim traders and opined assurance to the city government that they will oblige with the given agreement for as long as the city government would see to it that the relocation site will be improved for a more dynamic business atmosphere. (By: Natz Corbeta, Editor/Publisher, Karaga News Central)

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