Labella orders probe on trash

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella has ordered the Cebu City Legal Office and the City Environment and Natural Resources to investigate the alleged indiscriminate throwing of garbage by workers of Barangay Zapatera on a vacant lot along General Echavez Street.

Last July 17, concerned netizens posted pictures and videos online involving the alleged workers of Barangay Zapatera throwing garbage.

In the photos and video posted online, the alleged workers of the barangay could be seen throwing black plastic bags of garbage, plastic wastes, cartons and non-bio and biodegradable wastes on the vacant lot along General Echavez Street.

Based on the citation ticket issued by Cebu Environmental Sanitation Enforcement Team (CESET), the multicab that carried the trash to the area was a government vehicle.

Cebu City Attorney Rey Gealon said that his office will investigate the issue based on Labella’s instruction to take appropriate action on the blatant violation of RA 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 and City Ordinances 1361 (anti-littering ordinance) and 2031 (no segregation, no collection of garbage).

The City Legal Office, in coordination with CENRO headed by Atty. Jigo Dacua, would recommend to the Sanggunian Panglungsod for a full-blown investigation of the incident, if the evidence would so warrant.

Sangguniang Panglungsod may exercise its investigative and disciplinary powers over barangay officials under the local government code, Gealon said.

Barangay Zapatera Captain Francisco Benedicto and Joseph Arnejo were issued Citation Tickets by the Cebu Environmental Sanitation and Enforcement Teams last July 18 for littering within the premises of their barangay hall.

The FREEMAN visited Zapatera Barangay Hall to get the side of Benedicto and other officials, but no officer was around to give a statement. — Jebert A. Sarsonas (FREEMAN)