The Alabang viaduct area has been cleared of vendors early last week leading to a less stressful traffic condition and a lot less "eyesore" of an image in the area.
People has nothing but gratitude for this effort by the Muntinlupa City government lead by Mayor Jaime Fresnedi.
Soon after the clearing operation started, there have be recounts on Facebook detailing how the operation came to be.
According to stories propagated online, President Duterte was on his motorcycle doing an unsheduled inspection of the area when he saw a lot of makeshift stalls scatterd all over the sidewalks, particularly in the Alabang viaduct section. The president did not like it one bit that these out-of-place vendors are adding up to the traffic condition, so he went straight to the Muntinlupa City office.
He wasn't initially allowed entry with his face behind his helmet but the moment he took off his gear, he was immediately assisted and brought to the presence of Fresnedi. The following day was the day the sidewalk-clearing campaign started.
GMA News published an online article stating that the local government of Muntinlupa City debunked the viral post. GMA noted that it tried to reach out to the presidential spokesperson Ernie Abella, Presidential Communications Officer chief Martin Anandar and Special Assistant to the President Bong Go. We haven't heard any news of statements from any of them.
According to colleagues residing in Davao, Duterte is not the type who would boast this kind of initiative.
The question remains for the Muntinlupa City government: "after all these years, why only now?"
This question may have been the same question that lead to the creativity of the netizen who originally posted the controversial back story online. Why only now?
For most people, it doesn't really matter whether Duterte had to reprove Fresnedi to do what should have been done a long time ago. The end result is all that matters.
Also, it isn't like the issue with abusive vendors (some took entire sidewalk areas, some even put their stalls on the streets) is not very obvious. The fact that they contribute to the burdensome traffic condition has been shouting to anyone who has been in the area. Thus, it isn't hard for anyone to think that a "protection system" may have played.
Until an official statement from the president would be released about the matter -- which may never happen -- some people would choose to believe that the viral post was not a hoax.
One thing is definite, the president's political will for "true change" has reached his constituents, as it did in the Muntinlupa City office.
One may thus argue: either he or his political will has visited the local government office resulting to the sidewalk-clearing drive in the city.
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