Erap to sue, cut budget of ‘dirty’ barangays

MANILA, Philippines — All barangay chiefs and officials in Manila will face charges and suffer budget cuts if they fail to keep their areas of jurisdiction clean, Mayor Joseph Estrada said yesterday.

He issued the warning as he led a garbage clearing opera­tion along Road 10 in Tondo.

Barangay officials would be charged with gross negli­gence and dereliction of duty if their respective communi­ties are littered with trash and filled with obstructions, he said.

During the clearing opera­tion, Estrada reprimanded a barangay chairman after ob­serving that the streets in the barangay were filthy. He told the official that these offenses are grounds for disciplinary action, including suspension and removal from office.

Estrada also warned resi­dents that they also face charg­es if they are caught littering.

The mayor urged residents to report uncollected garbage in their areas so the city’s de­partment of public sanitation can collect the trash.

He has also ordered Che Borromeo, Manila Task Force Cleanup head, to work dou­ble time to clean the roads and other streets of uncol­lected garbage.

“I want the garbage prob­lem to be solved immediately. Clean up the entire city now,” Estrada said.