Waste disposal violators to clean up Kawit waters

At least 20 violators of the city's solid waste management law will clean the surrounding waters of Kawit Point today of floating garbage, in compliance of their penalty of one-day community service in lieu of paying the P500 compromise fee.

They are among the 4,300 people the city has so far caught, from July 1 to October 10, violating City Ordinance No. 2031, or the "no segregation, no collection" law.

The Cebu Environmental Sanitation Enforcement Team, the implementing body of the law, said that 2,800 of the total violators will be charged in court, 600 others have paid the compromise fee, while the rest were issued warnings.

CESET head Samuel Dy, said the enforcement of penalties on the violators should warn other residents to comply with the law because the city is bent on implementing it strictly.

"Atoa gyud ning tinud-od ang atong kampanya aron motuman gyud ang tanan (We should make good of our campaign so that everyone will comply)," Dy said.

Among barangays, the top ten with the most number of violators arrested were Guadalupe with 143 cases, Bacayan (129), Banilad (126), Talamban (105), Labangon (104), Mabolo (95), Sto. Niño (88), Mambaling (83), Camputhaw (81) and Punta Princesa (40).

The Cebu City Solid Waste Management Board, through CESET, had filed a criminal complaint against Apas barangay captain Clemente Rosales for violation of the solid waste management law.

A deputized CESET enforcer, Bimboy delos Santos, apprehended Rosales last August 17 for failing to segregate the waste in accordance with the law. The barangay official later refused to pay the P500 compromise fee prompting the filing of charges against him.

CO 2031 prohibits the disposal of wastes not segregated as biodegradable, non-biodegradable, reusable, hazardous and bulky.

Violators shall be punished by a fine of not less than P1,000 or by an imprisonment of not less than one month to not more than six months or both at the discretion of the court.

But a violator may also opt to settle his or her liabilities by paying P500 compromise fee upon approval of the city mayor or any of his authorized representatives. - Mitchelle P. Calipayan