Labella labels garbage complaint as ‘cheap shot’

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella has branded the complaint filed against him by Inayawan Barangay Captain Kirk Bryan Repollo as a “cheap shot.”

Also named respondent of the complaint filed before the anti-graft office was lawyer, Jigo Dacua, the head of the Department of Public Services, alleged uncollected garbage.

Repollo alleged that some of the city’s garbage remained uncollected for weeks since December.

For Inayawan, in particular, Repollo reportedly said that the problem of uncollected garbage in his barangay started when the contract between the city government and the private hauler managing the Inayawan transfer station expired in the second week of December 2020.

Labella, a lawyer and a former director of the Office of the Ombudsman, fired back, saying Repollo, being a lawyer himself, should have also read the other provisions of the Solid Waste Management Act.

“Coming at it as a lawyer, I consider it as a cheap shot, a very cheap shot because it came from a lawyer. And he (Repollo) is supposed to know. And I will bring to his awareness Sec.10 of the Republic Act 6003, otherwise known as the Solid Waste Management Act specifically, and categorically mandates that it is the job of the barangays to collect the garbage,” said Labella in a press conference yesterday.

Labella also defended Dacua for doing his job in the DPS well.

According to Labella, Dacua confided to him that Repollo’s camp just piled up garbage and took pictures of it.

Labella said once he receives the copy of the complaint, he will refer the matter to the City Attorney for appropriate actions.

Repollo was quick to react after the mayor’s press conference was aired via Facebook at the City’s PIO page.

“To a fellow lawyer who is also a city mayor and to a fellow lawyer who is also the head of the DPS, how can seeking legal refuge become a cheap move? Upholding the rule of law is the bread and butter of lawyers, and now it is a cheap shot?” said Repollo. — Sanden Anadia of Banat News, GMR (FREEMAN)