21 arrested for dumping wastes in city rivers
THE rivers are not your trash bin.
This was the strong message sent out by the Dagupan government as 21 residents were apprehended last week after they were caught in the act of throwing garbage or defecating in the city’s rivers.
They were charged for violating the city’s Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Program for the City of Dagupan last September 15. Seventeen others were arrested for throwing, dumping or defecating in the main rivers of the city.
Mayor Benjamin Lim had ordered police operations against violators of City Ordinance 1929-2009, which states that is illegal for anyone “to willfully or negligently dump, deposit, throw, leave or abandon any litter of solid waste upon any public highway, street alley, or road, upon public parks or recreation areas or upon any other public property owned, or into any bay, channel, harbor, river, creek, stream, reservoir, coastal waters, or other waters of the city.”
Lim, in a meeting last Monday with barangay officials, also directed them to arrest violators as he reiterated his earlier statement that his administration is dead serious in its campaign to clean the rivers.
“Manghuhuli tayo para malaman nila na seryoso tayo. If we need to apprehend the Punong Barangay if the law says they are relatively responsible for the acts of their constituents, we will apprehend them first so they will know that we are serious,” warned Lim.
The combined team of the city police under P/Supt. Romeo Caramat Jr., Public Order and Safety Office under Robert Erfe-Mejia, the Waste Management Division under Teddy Villamil and the City Information Office formed several teams to constantly monitor violations.
The youngest among those arrested was 13 years old while the oldest was 70 years old.
Under the ordinance, polluters are fined P300.00 for the first offense, P500 for the second offense, and P1,000 for the third offense, and are directed to render community service of not less than one day to not more than 15 days in the barangay where they were caught.
However, none of the offenders were fined but were simply sent home after being reprimanded and lectured on the law.
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