A more thoughtful clean-up

LETTERS FROM THE AGNO

March L. Fianza

Prior to the serious clean-up of roads and sidewalks by Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo M. Año when he issued  MC 121-2019, Mayor Benjamin Magalong had already shut down 37 bars and nightspots in Baguio for violating the zoning law, peace and order regulations, for falsely registering as another form of businesses or for breaking sanitation laws.

The DILG memorandum circular to clear roadways was issued after the President announced it in his 4th State of the Nation Address last July 22. Meanwhile, Mayor Magalong was also one of those LGU executives who cracked down illegal gambling even before President Duterte ordered the same.

The implementation of MC 121-2019 is not only for national highways and major thoroughfares but all other roads including barangay roads. By the time the order reached its 60-day deadline, a total of 6,899 roads nationwide have been cleared of obstructions.

Of the 1,245 of the cities and municipalities in the country, only 97 were found to be non-compliant. Sec. Año said, these LGUs will be issued show-cause orders (SCO) and will be given five days from receipt thereof to explain their non-compliance.

“Otherwise the DILG will have no recourse but to submit their names to the President and file the necessary complaints with the Office of the Ombudsman,” Sec. Año told reporters.

Ano’s statement appears to be a serious and fair warning. But, I cannot easily accept that he meant what he said. With so many violations committed by LGU heads ranging from involvement in drug cases, illegal gambling to other matters, I doubt if any LGU head will go to prison for not clearing roads. Cross our fingers.  

What is admirable in the recent DILG action however, is when Sec. Año said his office will issue a new memorandum circular to LGUs informing them of the continuation of the road clearing program and the quarterly validation. Exactly, having a continuing program is being on the right path.

As for Mayor Magalong, Baguio people should appreciate him for standing firm on his decision to keep the bars closed until such time that the owners follow the law. It is normal for an LGU executive to see to it that closure orders are enforced on business establishments without the required permits.

In his first few weeks in office, the mayor padlocked eateries, sari-sari stores selling cigarettes, restaurants and bars for violations of business rules and city ordinances.

But while all the talk of clean-ups, closure orders and road clearing ring in the air, I hardly hear city officials talk about cleaning its own ranks of misfits in public service, or weeding its offices of workers who do more disservice to the public.

One certain section is where job order personnel were assigned for the purpose of checking on the “peacefulness, orderliness, safeness and cleanliness” of sidewalks in the market.

Contrary to their assigned tasks and as what has been reported in the news, these personnel who dangerously wield little powers have been out of bounds.

The latest I heard was that some of these personnel brushed with members of the media who were covering city hall news. On socmed, particularly on Facebook and Messenger accounts, members of the media in Baguio said these city hall personnel are “power tripping”.

I learned that the rift started when the “peace, order and safety” personnel tried to keep at bay the media, particularly photojournalists who were prevented from covering an event and performing their jobs.

In the past, I heard stories of these “peace, order and safety” city hall job order personnel who were allegedly involved in mauling a market vendor sometime in 2012, causing his eventual death.

This case was silenced. The suspects in the mauling incident that led to the eventual death of the market vendor may have come to terms with the latter’s family, but this case is worth re-investigating by Mayor Magalong.

Just recently, a taho vendor in the vicinity of the Botanical Park was rudely accosted by four “peace, order and safety” city hall job order personnel. I was told that one of the four was involved in the market vendor’s mauling in 2012.

At present, such city hall job order personnel have no legal administrative orders or ordinances that can back up their existence and status of appointments.

By the way, I remember that a dozen of these city hall job order personnel were involved in illegally seizing by force the Asin Hot Springs in Nangalisan, Tuba away from its manager-owners.

The city, as per records of the municipal and provincial assessors of Tuba and Benguet, respectively, does not own any property in Nangalisan, Tuba, Benguet.

Talking about cleaning up, following the law and implementing closure orders on establishments that do not have business permits; closing Asin Hot Springs voluntarily is a more thoughtful way of abiding by the rules.

The city has no business permit to operate in Asin and does not pay any single centavo to Tuba. What applies in Baguio should also apply in Tuba and other places. It has to voluntarily close.

By the way, Mayor Sal-ongan and the municipal council of Tuba cannot just sit by and watch. A law is being violated right under their noses.