Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Garbage Problem in Cebu, Philippines

Businessman Ephrain "Jun" Pelaez Jr. has issued a notice to sue barangay officials in Lapu-Lapu City and Mayor Paz Radaza for allegedly not doing something about the city's garbage problem.

Pelaez, through his legal counsel Atty. Joan Largo, said the officials have been given a 30-day notice to comply with Republic Act (RA) 9300, or the Solid Waste Management Act.

According to Pelaez, garbage disposal in the city has been a perennial problem since 2007.

He said barangay officials have failed to perform the mandates under the Local Government Code and RA 9003, among other laws.

Pelaez, who ran against Radaza in the last election, kept a photographic journal for four consecutive years of the garbage strewn by the roadside, which, he said, was meant to be a wake-up call for the Radazas.

The mayor's husband, former Lapu-Lapu City mayor Arturo Radaza, is the representative of the seventh congressional district consisting of the city of Lapu-Lapu.

"Our request was simple, clean the city up. But we were ignored and persecuted and the city remains dirty to this day," Pelaez said.

Mayor Radaza said she believes the issue, which had been tackled in 2007, has something to do with Pelaez's political aspirations next year.

"At least now I know who I'll be facing in the elections next year. Today he is at it again, trying to make solid waste management an issue," she said.

She said that despite repeated issuance of solid waste citation tickets, Barangay Basak has failed to act on its garbage problem.

Basak Road is a major artery in the city and the garbage problem is the barangay captain's way of sabotaging the city's efforts to keep it clean, she said.

The barangay captain of Basak is Isabelito Darnayla, who defeated Lolita Berdin, a close ally of the Radazas and wife of former city councilor Alley Berdin, in the May 2010 elections.

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