When public safety is put in jeopardy, it is the sworn duty of all concerned public officials to act swiftly to correct the dangerous situation or activity.
Making a living by selling fish anywhere people want is not a constitutional right nor reason enough to endanger public lives and property. It is plain old self-centeredness, and a lack of concern for others.
You can sell your fish at the Sibulan fish market, or other designated locations where you don’t take public safety for granted — and still follow the law, and not compel your customers to violate Republic Act 4136.
Let me bring your attention to the notorious “Drive-thru Fish Market” happening at barangay Looc in the municipality of Sibulan, Negros Oriental which has been putting the public’s safety to the test, it is a human catastrophe waiting to happen.
Imagine the outermost lane and road shoulder of the national highway are being used as a venue for commerce, where people are illegally selling their fish products. Even the washing of the fish boxes and stockpiling are being done on this slow lane of the National Highway.
Haggling for cheap prices, fish deliveries, and illegal parking are all done on the slow lane and the road shoulder of the National Highway, thereby, creating a very dangerous situation because it is, in fact, a national highway where vehicles drive at highway speeds.
No warning signs are posted by the Department of Public Works & Highways to warn motorists to slow down to 5 kilometers per hour because the illegal “Drive-Thru Fish Market” activity is going on.
No Sibulan Police is present either to make sure the fish vendors and their customers are constantly made aware of their illegal use of the National Highway so perhaps they will not cause any accident.
But even if you drive by this fish market in Sibulan at a speed of 5 kph, and a fish market patron walking on the road carelessly hits the side of your slow-moving vehicle, he can always claim you are guilty of bumping into him.
Now the driver is in trouble! You, as the driver, will now need to pay for the fish patron’s hospital bills and medication. And his family will even ask for a big amount as “settlement” for their perceived “injuries”. Afterall, their loyal suki fish vendor will always be willing to testify for his customers: that it was the driver’s fault for driving on the road, the same road on which he was [illegally] just trying to earn a living.
(So maybe now you are starting to see my point?)
Perhaps the DPWH can educate the public on the legal purpose of road-widening. Is it now legal to use the National Highway as venue for selling fish/doing business? Do the fish vendors pay some fees to some government entity to be allowed to use the National Highway for selling fish/doing business? Maybe there have been changes in the rules that we do not know about?
I’m sure the DPWH can shed some light on the real deal why this illegal “Drive-thru Fish Market” continues to thrive along the National Highway in barangay Looc in Sibulan.
This is an immediate wake-up call or reveille, in military parlance, to all concerned government agencies:
1. DPWH-Negros Oriental as custodian of the National Highway;
2. Barangay Captain of Looc in Sibulan as head of the smallest political unit in that area;
- local government unit of Sibulan as overseers/managers/enforcers of all ordinances/activities happening in the barangays;
- Highway Patrol Group-Negros Oriental as enforcers of Republic Act 4136 on National Highways;
- Philippine National Police-Sibulan Police Station as co-enforcers of Republic Act 4136;
- Department of Interior & Local Government-Negros Oriental as overseers of all LGUs;
- Commission on Audit- Negros Oriental as watchdog of governance, ensuring that government assets (like expensive national highways) are officially used for their intended purpose, and not misappropriated for other illegal uses like the “Drive- Thru Fish Market”;
8. Civil Service Commission-Negros Oriental as overseers of inaction or dereliction of duty by government institutions and civil servants who turn a blind eye on violations of the laws of the land.
The situation along this “Drive-Thru Fish Market” is akin to a minefield. If you continue to walk on a minefield everyday, sooner or later, you will meet your fate. I am calling out these government agencies for them to review their job descriptions or duties and responsibilities, and take immediate action now to save lives and property.
I hope these government offices understand my message of caution. As a law-abiding citizen, I humbly believe it is my duty to help the community by helping make them aware of safety violations that are happening around us everyday.
What is the driving force of this illegal activity conducted right on the National Highway that even our concerned government officials cannot enforce the law? Is this due to the granting or return of personal/political favors, or corruption, etc.?
That the ordinances don’t seem to have teeth, is it due to laziness or incompetence on the part of the enforcers?
I have already called the attention of the Sibulan Police on two occasions using their hotline, complaining about this persistent public safety problem, but to no avail. Maybe writing this piece in the MetroPost will get the government’s attention this time, so we can all prevent a tragic accident from happening. Peace!
Raffy Nocete
Sibulan, Negros Oriental
