ILOILO CITY — A dispute over market regulations has escalated into a legal battle after the Iloilo City Government’s Local Economic Enterprise Office (LEEO) filed a case against an ambulant vendor following an altercation during a market-clearing operation.
The LEEO said it filed the case before the City Prosecutor’s Office on August 19, one day after the confrontation near a market area at around 5 p.m. on August 18.
According to the LEEO, the vendor had previously been warned against selling in unauthorized areas around the market. City personnel allegedly approached the vendor several times to explain the regulations and encourage compliance.
The situation, however, allegedly escalated into an altercation in which a city employee was threatened with or attacked with a knife, according to the LEEO’s account. Police intervened, and the vendor was arrested for alleged violations of the city’s Market Code and provisions of the Revised Penal Code.
The allegations have not been established by a court. The LEEO’s version of events should therefore be distinguished from proven facts as the case proceeds.
LEEO: Vendor had been warned before
The LEEO said the August 18 incident was not an isolated encounter.
The office claimed that previous incidents involving alleged threats against its personnel had already been documented through barangay or police blotters. It also said the vendor had received verbal and written warnings and had been advised to coordinate with the office to complete the requirements needed to legally sell in the market.
LEEO officials maintained that their personnel had attempted to resolve the matter through dialogue before resorting to legal action.
The office said it would continue to respect due process and allow the legal system to determine the appropriate resolution of the case.
Vendor issue part of bigger Iloilo market dispute
The latest confrontation comes amid a broader crackdown on ambulant and transient vendors around Iloilo City’s public markets.
Earlier this year, the city government announced a stricter enforcement policy against transient vendors operating around the Iloilo Terminal “Super” Public Market. LEEO officials said the city ordinance prohibits transient vendors from selling within a 100-meter radius of the market when they are selling products similar to those offered by vendors operating inside.
City officials have argued that unauthorized vending can obstruct sidewalks and roads, affect pedestrian movement, create sanitation concerns and hurt legitimate market stallholders.
The issue has also triggered protests and criticism from groups supporting ambulant vendors. Manila Bulletin reported on August 19 that a consumer group protested the arrest of a vendor outside the Iloilo Terminal Market, highlighting the controversy surrounding the enforcement campaign.
The dispute therefore goes beyond one arrest: it reflects the continuing tension between strict enforcement of market regulations and the livelihood concerns of ambulant vendors.
City says enforcement will continue
Despite the controversy, the LEEO said the city government would continue enforcing market rules.
The office emphasized that its personnel should be able to perform their duties without threats or intimidation and appealed to vendors and the public to cooperate with clearing operations.
At the same time, the city government has previously faced criticism over its treatment of ambulant vendors. In an earlier April 2026 clearing operation, vendors and their supporters accused authorities of excessive enforcement, while the city defended the operations and said confiscated goods were accounted for and returned.
In March, LEEO also said it was implementing a zero-tolerance policy against transient vendors operating around the Terminal Market and explained that enforcement was being carried out after information campaigns, consultations and written notices.
More recently, the city government reached a compromise with ambulant vendors, allowing them to return to designated areas at the Iloilo Terminal Market while restricting where and when they could sell. The arrangement was intended to balance vendors’ livelihood concerns with the city’s market regulations.
The latest case now puts that delicate balance under renewed scrutiny.
For the LEEO, market rules must be followed and government personnel must be protected while carrying out their duties.
For critics and vendor supporters, however, the incident raises another question: How can Iloilo City enforce its market rules without putting vulnerable vendors’ livelihoods at risk?
The case is expected to move through the legal process, where the allegations and evidence surrounding the August 18 confrontation can be properly examined.
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