Probe team faces probe over water vendor arrest

Local

CEBU City Mayor Nestor Archival on Friday has ordered an internal review of the arrest of a water vendor at Plaza Sugbo after a video of the incident involving members of the city’s Prevention, Restoration, Order, Beautification, and Enhancement (Probe) team went viral.

Archival said the city government will enforce the law but with “maximum tolerance” and respect for people trying to earn a living.

In an interview Friday, Jan. 2, Archival said the incident stemmed from the implementation of Cebu City Ordinance No. 2686, the Anti-Road Obstruction Ordinance, which prohibits vending and other obstructions in plazas and public spaces, including the City Hall complex.

“Naa tay usa ka ordinance nga nagdumili sa mga tawo sa pagtinda sa mga plaza like diri sa City Hall plaza, pero ang akong direktiba sa atong mga tawo is maximum tolerance,” Archival said. “Katong mga areas nga walay naghasol, limpyo, ug walay nagreklamo, dili lang nato silahilabtan kay nanginabuhi mana sila.”

While the ordinance is in full force, the mayor stressed that his standing directive to enforcement units, particularly the Probe team and the Cebu City Enforcement Team (CSET), is to apply discretion.

Archival said areas where vendors do not cause disorder, maintain cleanliness, and draw no complaints are generally left undisturbed, recognizing that many are simply trying to survive.

However, he said enforcement has become necessary in Plaza Sugbo following repeated complaints from tourists, tour guides, and City Hall employees.

“Daghan na ang mga bata nga sige’g pangayo, masuko pa ug dili tagaan,” he said. “Actually, 16 mendicants ang nadakop—gipasakaan ug sumbong ang uban, ug ang uban nangayo’g pasaylo nga dili na mangayo.

Gihinay-hinay na nato’g eliminate ang mga mendicants.”

According to the mayor, reports have cited worsening congestion, improper disposal of trash, particularly empty bottled water, and the presence of aggressive mendicants, some of them minors.

Archival said the city has already intensified efforts to address mendicancy in the area, revealing that 16 mendicants have been apprehended, some of whom were charged while others were released after promising not to beg again.

He explained that the Dec. 16 incident involved a bottled water vendor who had allegedly been repeatedly warned by authorities prior to the arrest.

Based on reports submitted to him, Archival said the vendor resisted personnel and was brought to the police station only to be restrained and briefly detained. The vendor, he added, later asked that no charges be filed and was subsequently released.

Following public backlash and questions raised by the circulating video, Archival ordered a meeting with Probe personnel involved in the operation and placed those seen in the viral footage under floating status pending investigation.

He said personnel found to have acted improperly would be removed, including unit heads, if necessary.

With the Sinulog festivities approaching, the mayor said the city has an added responsibility to protect the area, describing it as part of the center of Christian celebration and a major convergence point for residents and visitors.

He rejected claims that the city government is targeting the poor, saying enforcement actions are not meant to criminalize poverty but to prevent abuse, nuisance, and disorder in public spaces.

“Ang atong direction is inclusive—tanang tawo atong atimanon. Pero kung abuso ug nuisance na, dili sad na maayo, labi na karon nga Sinulog, ang centro sa Kristiyanismo. We need to protect the area,” he said.

The issue, he said, had already been resolved shortly after the December 16 incident, warning against reopening it in a way that could sow division.

The arrest drew criticism from City Councilor Jun Alcover, who condemned the incident in a Facebook post, accusing city personnel of lacking compassion and questioning what he described as harsh enforcement even during the Christmas season.

Alcover’s office said vendors from Plaza Sugbo had sought his assistance as early as August last year, citing threats to their livelihood.

He claimed the mayor earlier assured vendors they would be allowed to stay as long as they kept the area clean and orderly, and that they would be organized under clear rules.

Alcover lamented what he said were later incidents that contradicted this assurance, including the alleged injury of a vendor who is a person with disability and the confiscation of goods before Christmas.

Despite the controversy, City Hall maintained that Ordinance 2686 remains a key policy to ensure safety, cleanliness, and accessibility in public spaces, especially as Cebu City prepares for large gatherings tied to Sinulog.(TGP)