CEBU, Philippines - An opposition councilor has accused Mayor Tomas Osmeña of political harassment in cutting off the cash incentive of garbage collectors of Barangay Kamputhaw.
Councilor Raymond Alvin Garcia said Osmeña is singling out Kamputhaw when there are other barangays allied with Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan that have also uncollected garbage on the streets.
Garcia, a former councilman of Kamputhaw, said Barangays Guadalupe and Tejero have also uncollected garbage on the streets but did not get the mayor’s attention.
"Ako ha personally I question gyud nganong ang Kamputhaw ang gi-focus, if you go to Tejero and other barangays, I don't know if niadto mo’g Tejero kanang dapit sa creek nila. Dili ba kaha ang kapitan diha kay kaalyado. Asta ang Guadalupe kung asa siya gapuyo, if you look at those Facebook accounts, mga picture that's in Banawa, that's Guadalupe," Garcia said.
Garcia said it is clear that politics is involved in the decision of the mayor, explaining that it is not also the responsibility of the barangay to collect garbage along the main thoroughfares of the city.
Garcia said that under the agreement between the barangays and the city government, only the interior areas will be the responsibility of the barangays.
“You know, atong kapitan and mga konsehal are working very hard sa garbage collection. You ask kuno sa interior sa Mango Avenue, those living in their individual residences kung wala ba siya na-satisfy sa garbage collection sa barangay because they are collecting everyday non-stop ang pangkolekta,” Garcia said.
He added that it is not fair that the barangay garbage collectors were blamed for the uncollected trash along Gorordo Avenue because it was the responsibility of the Department of Public Services.
“Sila raman ang naghimo ana nga rules nga ang major thoroughfares sila ang mokolekta kay ang principal to collect kay ang city man gyud, ang barangay niayuda raman nila," Garcia said.
Kamputhaw Barangay Captain Trifonio Liquigan Jr. said it is not the responsibility of the barangay workers to collect garbage along Mango Avenue, Escario Street and Gorordo Avenue. He explained that the barangay’s responsibility is only the interior part.
Barangay Councilman Ronald Anthony Librando said the area where the mayor found uncollected garbage used to be very clean because the previous administration has assigned DPS personnel in the area.
DPS assistant head John Paul Gelasque admitted that it is the duty of DPS personnel to collect garbage in the main roads. However, Gelasque said that the failure of the barangay to collect the garbage in the interior area prompted the residents to throw their wastes along the road.
"Kanang nahitabo sa Kamputhaw, kanang dapit sa KIA naay sudlonon diha, residential so wala nangolekta ang barangay maong nigawas sa mainline," he said.
Gelasque said he will meet with the barangay officials as soon as possible to address the problem.
Meanwhile, the Barangay Council of Kamputhaw has allocated funds to pay for the honorarium of the garbage collectors.
"Gibutangan na namo og budget kay tungod pud atong ilahang honorarium sa city nga dugay kaayo bitaw, niya panginabuhian baya na nila," Liquigan said.
At least seven out of 15 garbage collectors of Kamputhaw are receiving monthly allowance from the city government at P5,000 each.
Osmeña, however, announced recently that the city government is no longer giving incentives to them. (FREEMAN)