Mayor Isko Moreno clears Divisoria of street vendors

The busy streets in Divisoria have been cleared of sidewalk vendors, two days after Manila Mayor Isko Moreno took his oath of office.

According to a report by Tina Panganiban-Perez in GMA News TV's State of the Nation with Jessica Soho, authorities dismantled the stalls in a clearing operation.

"Wala ngang nangyari ng anim na taon eh. Ngayon, wala pang 48 hours may nangyari na," Moreno said.

Some vendors, however, bargained to get some parts of the streets back.

"Maaliwalas nga kaso gutom naman mga tiyan namin. Kahit bigyan kami ng one line. May guhit. Lagyan ng guhit kasi ganyan naman dito sa Divisoria," vendor Leonarda Delos Santos said.

A clearing operation has also been conducted in Recto.

Two persons who were allegedly collecting money from street vendors to make them believe that selling goods on the streets was legal have been arrested in an entrapment operation.

Moreno also bared that there was an attempt to bribe him to let up on his campaign to rid the city's streets and sidewalks of illegal vendors.

“May mga nagparating lang sa akin na mensahe na P5 million a day, P150 million a month, P1.8 billion a year,” Moreno said.

“Simple lang ang sinabi ko. 'Subukan niyo.' Oh, hindi na tumawag,” he added.

The mayor said he will allow the vendors to make a living while following legal processes. — Dona Magsino/BAP, GMA News