5 Lapu-Lapu City garbage disposal workers fired for alleged extortion

Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard Chan. | CDND File Photo

LAPU-LAPU CITY, Cebu —  Five city employees detailed at Lapu-Lapu City’s Materials Recover Facility (MRF) office were terminated for allegedly extorting money from garbage disposal violators instead of issuing them citation tickets.

Mayor Junard Chan announced the termination order on Thursday, September 26, after completing the investigation into an informant’s tip regarding the illegal activities of the five workers.

The mayor said they were able to confirm that the five MRF workers  had been negotiating with  establishments that violated the city’s  garbage disposal ordinance, particularly on the requirement to segregate wastes, for the latter to cough up P1,500 instead of getting a citation ticket that would cost the violator up to P5,000 in fine.

Chan also warned establishments that they could face stiffer penalties if they are caught negotiating with corrupt city employees  in exchanged of non-issuance of citation tickets.

The workers who were fired had been in the city’s employ long before Chan assumed as mayor last July and had allegedly been engaged in this form of extortion activity for quite some time.

Chan, however, did not name the five employees.

“We also warn our city officials and business establishments that there are also people using our names and extort money from them, solicit or order commodities but without the knowledge of the officials,” said Chan.

According to Chan, he found out that his name was used recently for an extortion scheme by a still unidentified person./elb