Bacolod City Legal Office Denies Assault Allegations Against Enforcement Team
BACOLOD. The Bacolod City Legal Office has firmly denied allegations that its enforcement team assaulted a 63-year-old sidewalk vendor during a clearing operation at Libertad Public Market on January 15, 2026. City Legal Officer Karol Joseph Chiu stated that the team acted with caution and exercised maximum tolerance while performing their duties, contrary to claims of misconduct.
Incident Details and CCTV Evidence
According to Chiu, the incident occurred at 6:52 a.m. when enforcement team members confronted the female vendor for refusing to remove her root crops displayed along Lizares Street and Amelia Avenue, near the University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos (UNO-R). The team confiscated the vendor's goods, but Chiu emphasized that closed circuit television (CCTV) footage revealed a different narrative than initial reports.
The footage allegedly shows the vendor repeatedly punching one of the enforcement workers, who was seen parrying the blows. This contradicts claims that the vendor was assaulted by the team. Fellow vendors reportedly intervened to restrain her and prevent further aggression against the personnel.
Legal Framework and Prior Warnings
Chiu explained that the enforcement team had issued repeated warnings to vendors occupying and obstructing the street around 6 a.m., prior to the incident. He stressed that while the city respects sidewalk vendors, their actions must adhere to established guidelines to maintain order in public spaces, especially in market areas.
The operation was conducted under City Ordinance 1009, series of 2022, which regulates ambulant vendors and designates vending zones to ensure cleanliness and remove unauthorized structures from city streets. Additionally, City Ordinance 810, series of 2017, mandates the City Legal Office through its Enforcement Team to clear all roads within city limits from illegal structures that pose dangers to pedestrians, motorists, and vendors themselves.
Conclusion and Ongoing Compliance
This incident highlights the challenges in balancing vendor livelihoods with public safety and urban management. The Bacolod City Legal Office maintains that its enforcement actions are lawful and necessary, backed by visual evidence from surveillance systems. Authorities continue to enforce ordinances to promote orderly vending and safe public spaces in Bacolod.
