Litterbugs beware

CEBU, Philippines - Close to 500 members of the Cebu City Environmental Sanitation Enforcement Team (CESET) and Barangay Environmental Officers of the city’s 80 barangays will be fielded to the different public ce-meteries in the city starting this morning to apprehend those caught throwing garbage and other waste in public places.

CESET head Grace Luardo, who is also the supervisor of the Barangay Environmental Officers, said they will concentrate their operations in cemeteries today and tomorrow to discourage people visiting the tombs of their departed loved ones from littering.

Each of the 80 barangays in Cebu City has at least five BEOs tasked to implement the provisions of Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act that provides for the segregation of garbage, as well as the existing city ordinance that prohibits the throwing of garbage in public places.

Luardo already assigned joint teams of CESET and BEOs to major cemeteries in the city carrying citation tickets to be issued against apprehended violators.

Aside from those who will be caught throwing garbage in public places, Luardo said her personnel have also been ordered to apprehend those caught urinating in public.

Luardo said Mayor Michael Rama reminded them that laws shall not be suspended during holidays, that is why her personnel will intensify the operations against violators.

“Rule No. 1 ni mayor g’yud sa atong Oplan Kalag-Kalag is no lifting in the enforcement of laws. So, wala ta’y i-lift ug mas manakop pa g’yud hinuon ta kay daghan ra ba g’yud nga mga tawo nga moanha sa mga menteryo,” she said.

Yesterday, the CESET and BEOs visited the different public cemeteries in the city and reminded stall owners that there is a law that requires them to keep separate garbage bins for biodegradable and non-biodegradable wastes.

Stall owners who do not have garbage bins during the follow-up inspection of CESET and BEOs today will be issued a citation ticket for violating the existing city ordinance.

“Bisan ang mga menteryo nga tua mahimutang sa bukid akong gidestinohan og akong mga sakop ubos sa instruction nga walay pili-pili sa ilang pagpangisyu,” said Luardo.

Luardo said there are about 90 apprehended violators who failed to pay the P500 fine for their violations and have just decided to render civic duties will be used by the CESET to help clean the vicinity of the public cemeteries this morning.

Meanwhile, Department of Public Services head Rolando Ardoza said he assigned a team of personnel and a garbage truck only for the stretch of P. Lopez Street used as a vending area by flower vendors.

Ardoza asked the cemetery caretakers to let their utility workers bring their garbage out of the cemeteries so these can be collected by the DPS personnel manning the tricycle garbage bins.

“Ang mga tricycles nato nga adunay kargahanan sa basura maoy gi-assign nako sa mga menteryo kay sayon ra man kini nga makasulod-gawas kun itandi sa garbage trucks,” Ardoza added.

CITY ON ALERT

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama said that starting yesterday until November 2, the city government is in full alert for the celebration of All Souls’ and All Saints’ Day.

Earlier, CITOM operations officer Joy Tumulak said CITOM personnel have deployments already.

“Unya duna’y mga pipila ka mga dalan for example sa V. Rama  duna’y mga pipila ka mga sakyanan nga limitado nga makasud nga di pasaheroan,” Tumulak said.

Rama said he and Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella will be roaming the city. He said he already gave instructions to the policemen.

“I already had a meeting with all of them, they already know what to do. Just follow the template and always remember, no laws being suspended. Always be mindful that when the cat is away the mouse will play,” he said.

Based on earlier reports, Cebu City Police Office Director Senior Superintendent Noli Romana said policemen are ready and they already have deployments for the police stations in the city.

“Meron na kaming distinction deployment klinuster namin ‘yung mga stations. May mga stations na walang sementeryo so tulung-tulong,” he said.

On these days, 22 Police Assistance Centers will be placed in the different cemeteries in the entire Cebu City.

“Yung signages klaro, entrance (and) exit so that ‘yung traffic flow ng tao, smooth,” Romana said.

Rama also reminded the public to apply safety measures.

“Please be aware of your abode. Don’t leave without anyone and especially those who are into displaying money don’t display money now,” he said.

For the street vendors, he urged them not to block the road.

“Di lang na sila magsamok samok sa dalan. Dili lang makapa-traffic. Ang instruction nako ana enter maximum tolerance for as long as they will give space for the walkers, give absolute space for the vehicles,” Rama said.

Police on alert also

The Police Regional Office–7 is also on full alert status until November 3.

Police Regional Officer-7 director Chief Superintendent Prudencio Tom Bañas has raised the status to full alert following the directive from the Philippine National Police headquarters effective last Thursday.

Bañas explained that the full alert status requires all police personnel to be on duty during the observation.

“All leaves are cancelled while those who are on leave are advised to report back to their offices for accounting purposes,” he said.

He added that all policemen shall work an additional fifty percent of the number of the duty hours they are normally required.

“If you are patrolling for eight hours plus an additional of four hours, you will conduct patrolling for 12 hours. Besides, we do it by shifts,” he said.

To augment security, police personnel were deployed in public places such as cemeteries and passenger terminals where a lot of people are expected.

Senior police officers will be designated in areas where they will supervise and inspect their subordinates to make sure everything is in order.

“We are very much visible sa ating areas where our people will be observing the celebrations. We just want to make sure that our people are intact to any eventuality,” Bañas said. — with Mechelle P. Florita and Grace Melanie I. Lacamiento/BRP (FREEMAN)