Businessman Efrain Pelaez Jr. just won’t give up.
He filed yesterday yet another complaint against Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza and 11 barangay captains for allegedly failing to act on the garbage problems of the city.
Pelaez, who is running for mayor in the 2016 polls, asked the Office of the Ombudsman in the Visayas to hold the respondents liable for failing to comply with Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Law.
He said Lapu-Lapu City still operates a dumpsite and that none of the 11 barangays practice waste segregation, composting , recycling or waste reduction activities.
This failure, he said constitutes gross negligence and dereliction of duty.
“The law is there for a reason. Lapu-lapu City is supposed to be a tourist destination. Now it has become very dirty. All I want is to protect the rights of citizens for a clean environment,” said Pelaez in an interview.
Pelaez first raised the garbage problem in 2007 when the mayor was Arturo Radaza, husband of Paz. Then he filed the case in 2012 but it was dismissed.
“In dismissing the case, the Ombudsman claimed that I failed to identify who took the photos of garbage I attached in my complaint. Now, I have hundreds of photos and even videos to support my allegations,” said Pelaez.
Pelaez said he took the photos himself since 2007.
“What is so difficult with my request? All they need to do is to clean up the mess,” said Pelaez.
In a press statement, Mayor Radaza belittled Pelaez’s third attempt to file the case.
“This is clearly an act of bullying by a mayoralty bet who wants to earn pogi points. I will not give in to this kind of campaigning. I urge Pelaez to find a legitimate issue and let’s discuss it in public,” Radaza said.
For over a decade, Pelaez said he has been asking the city government to clean up uncollected garbage in Lapu-Lapu.
He said it was his civic duty to call the attention of city officials over the worsening condition of its waste disposal system.
“Despite a change in administration from Arturo Radaza to his wife, Paz, nothing has been done to address this gravely alarming situation,” said Pelaez.
He impleaded in the case barangay captains of Canjulao, Gun-ob, Ibo, Looc, Mactan, Maribago, Marigondon, Pajac, Pajo, Punta Engaño, and Pusok.