Are we criminally liable for Libel?

Libel Case respondents:

Board Member (BM) Alfonso Bince sued recently with criminal libel three staff of Northern Watch Newspaper in Pangasinan at the prosecutor's office in Rosales, Pangasinan. From left, Brando Cortez (Editor-in-Chief), Yolly Fuertes (Publisher), and Mortz C. Ortigoza (columnist).

Libel case complainant Board Member (BM) Alfonso Bince (left) in a huddle with BM Danny Uy who was quoted by Northern Watch Newspaper to have said that most of the members of the Provincial Board were recipient of the P40 thousand payola from the illegal number game jueteng

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

 

Board Member (BM) Alfonso Bince sued me, Yolly Fuertes (Publisher), and Brando Cortez (Editor-in-Chief) of this paper recently at the prosecutor‘s office in Rosales, Pangasinan.

The case he filed was Libel. It was a result of my column “Most BMs received P40 monthly from Jueteng – BM Uy”

The P40 was ridiculous and incredible but I rectified it in my August 14, 2011 column   after some members of the Sangguniang Panlalalwigan (SP) or the Provincial Board threaten me on mass media with libel.

 I said there it was a typographical error.  I explained that what BM Danny  Uy told me and other media men in several occasions that most of his fellow BMs were recipient of the P40 thousand payola from the illegal number game jueteng.

Libel is public and malicious imputation of a crime, or of a vice or defect, real or imaginary, or any act, omission, condition, status, or circumstance tending to cause the dishonor, discredit, or contempt of a natural or juridical person, or to blacken the memory of one who is dead, (Article 234 of the Revised Penal Code).

It is a case handles by the Regional Trial Court even its penalty of up to Prision correctional medium period (4 years and two months.) or a fine of up to P6, 000 or both.

Although it shows its prison term is under the ambit of the lesser Municipal Trial Court, it probably shows that written slander is a special case because it involves special people – the journalists (aheem!).

If BM Bince wants the court to convict us, he should meet all the four (4) elements of criminal libel.

A) There must be defamatory Imputation; B) Publicity of the Libelous Matter; C) The Person Libeled must be Identified; D) There must be Malice on the Part of the Accused.

Since there was already publication of my disputed column, I’ll answer elements A, C, and D at my very best knowledge.

On Element A: There was no defamatory imputation. I wrote that article in good faith and without malice.

Bm Uy for several times has been telling me and some media colleagues with bravados that he did not receive even  a single centavo from jueteng intended monthly for  the members of the SP.

I included Uy’s statement to my column that most of his colleagues received payolas to collaborate my observation of the indifference of the SP to the government sanctioned Loterya ng Bayan (LNB).

“Is the absence of payola the reason that made members of the august body critical of the LNB?” I posed there.

What I asked in my column was privileged (it means no action for libel). Besides, it was in the form of a question and a matter of public interest concerning public officials.

As what Borjal vs. Court of Appeal (301 SCRAA 1 January 14, 1999 says….”Fair comments on matters of interest are privileged and constitute a valid defense in an action for libel or slander.

 I did not concoct the statement of BM Uy, there were media men and non media men who already went public by corroborating what I exposed that they heard too that Uy said that most of his colleague were recipients of the illegal number game.

On Element C : It says that the person libeled must be identified. Bm Bince was not identified as recipient of the payola in that article.

On the first row of the first (1) paragraph of my column I wrote “Recently, I overheard board member Alfonso Bince adversely commenting on the surge of Lotery ng Bayan (LNB) in Pangasinan. “Loterya ng Mayayaman, he incessantly and derisively quipped to two radio stations where he was interviewed the other week in phone patch”.

On the fifth (5) paragraph of the same row I posed “Does Bince’s dislike for LNB reflect the mentality of his colleague whose names are preceded with the adjective “Honorable”?”

“On the eight (8) paragraph of the same row I asked” Is the absence of payola the reason that members of the august body critical of LNB?”

Now, where’s the name of BM Bince here that he wrote on paragraph D of his Affidavit Complaint (AC):

 “ Thus the above column article specifically mentioning his name is benefitting from the operation of illegal number game as jueteng is  blatant lie and falsehood and constitutes   malicious imputation of   a crime which tends to cause his dishonor, discredit, and contempt from his constituents in the 6^th congressional district of Pangasinan from more than twenty (20) years and in the entire province and all possible readers of Northern watch, who by reason of which he has suffered mental anguish and wounded feelings”

Susmariosep, the allegation of Bince is an insult to the intelligence of even the ordinary readers and his constituents.

How could he accuse me and company that I dragged his name on my column when I only mentioned him on the fifth paragraph as critical of the LNB and not its beneficiary?

And that fifth and eight paragraphs was even a poser?

It means a query, a question I made not for him but to his colleagues.

You my dear readers can browse again what the fifth (5) paragraph of my column said and you connect that to paragraph 8, and- son of a gun - you would be enlightened, too.

I was no longer talking about Bince there but his colleagues.

The AC of the offended lawmaker at Paragraph A was misleading that the prosecutor who would resolve the complaint should take notice.

He juxtaposed my statement on the first paragraph of row 1of my column where I mentioned his name  as critical to the LNB to  paragraph six of the same row of Uy’s statement that most if not all of his colleagues at the provincial board received P40, 000 monthly payola from   a jueteng operator.

Holly Molly, the 1st paragraph was a different topic to the 6th paragraph!

On Element D: I did write that article without malice but with a patriotic duty to unmask the hypocrisy of the members of the SP of being critical or indifferent to LNB but not to jueteng.

As what my kumpadre Edmund Burke says : “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing”.

If the complaint of Bince could not meet any one of the four (4) elements then the prosecutor should throw the complaint to the waste basket like dung to save valuable scarce prosecutorial resources.

Oh, by the way Bince said on the first paragraph of his AF that he is a resident of Rosales, Pangasinan where he filed his AF.

He failed to mention that he is pubic official.

Paragraph  3 of  Article 360 of the Revised Penal Code said that were one of the offended parties is  public officer”….the action should be filled in the Court of First Instance (precursor of the RTC) where he held office at the time of the commission of the offense or where the article  is printed and first published…”.

Bince failed also to mention that he has a government funded office in Rosales. By overlooking his public position and government office at his AC, could our defense lawyers ask for the immediate dismissal in the name of jurisdiction for this harassment that took the attention already of the national and local media and other entity who mull to organize a rally by inviting personalities like Archbishop Oscar Cruz to denounce what a member of the provincial board has been doing to us?

Bince should have stated the location of his public office that could either be in Lingayen –where the provincial capitol is located, or the one in Rosales but he failed to mention it that he has one there.

Otherwise, this wannabe political columnist surmised that the case should be dismissed pronto by the prosecutor at Rosales so that we could get back to our duty to write what is true without the albatross breathing on our neck.

You can read my selected intriguing but thought-provoking columns at http://mortzortigoza.blogspot.com. You can send comments too at totomortz@yahoo.com).

Salamat kina Director Gatdula at Gen. Cacdac

By Sec. Antonio "Bebot" Villar, Jr.
Chairman, Dangerous Drugs Board

NATULOY na kahapon ang pagbibigay ng pondo para sa pagpapagawa ng rehabilitation center sa Bonuan Binloc, Dagupan City, Pangasinan. Ang mga taga-Dagupan na ang dumayo sa atin sa Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) upang tanggapin ang mahigit P6 milyon sa kabuuang P10 milyon para sa nasabing rehab center.

Pinangunahan ng butihin at masipag na Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez ng Dagupan City at Department of Health (DOH) Region 1 Representative Atty. Manny Aoanan ang pagtanggap ng pondo.

Pinasalamatan nila ang DDB sa mabilisang aksyon para sa mas madaling pag-o-operate ng rehab center sa sandaling ito ay matapos.  Nangangahulugan lamang na hindi na kailangang bumiyahe pa ng malayo ng pasyente upang makapagpa-rehab partikular ng mga taga-Dagupan at karatig-bayan nito.

Inaasahan natin na maraming kababayan natin na nais magbagong-buhay mula sa pag-aabuso ng bawal na gamot ang matutulungan sa sandaling ito ay magsimulang mag-operate. 

* * *

Nais ko ring pasalamatan sina NBI Director Magtanggol Gatdula at Gen. Arturo Cacdac, Jr. ng PNP-AIDSOTF sa kanilang pagdalo sa unang pagkakataon sa ika-138 pagpupulong ng DDB nitong nakaraang Martes.

Ang kanilang pagdating sa pagpupulong ay isang patunay ng kanilang matibay na suporta sa ating pakikipag-laban sa iligal na droga.  Nagbigay din sila ng pahayag na sila ay lalagi sa ating tabi kasama ng iba pang miyembro ng Board na walang sawang naglalaan ng kanilang mahalagang oras upang makipag-tulongan sa atin.

Nagpapasalamat din ako sa mga kinatawan ng DFA, DOLE, DepEd, DND, IBP, DOH, DSWD, DOJ, DILG, CHED, NYC, PDEA at iba pang nagsidalo sa naging mabungang pagpupulong natin sa DDB.

Ito ay isang pagpapakita na ang ating pamahalaan, sa pamamagitan ng mga ahensyang ating katuwang ay nananatiling nagkakaisa upang labanan ang problema ng droga.

* * *

Sayang at walang death penalty!  Kung tayo sana ay katulad ng Singapore o ng China tiyak ay marami na rin tayong naparusahan dahil sa drug trafficking.

Malayo ang kanilang  disiplinadong kabataan sa atin na kadalasang nagkalat sa mga bars at doon gumagawa ng kung ano-anong bisyo partikular pag “weekend” lalo na ang mga anak-mayaman!

Ang kawalan ng death penalty sa ating bansa kasi ang patuloy na nag-aanyaya sa mga sindikato tulad ng Western African Syndicates (WADs) na patuloy na mag-operate dito bilang kaisa-isang bansa sa Asya na walang death penalty!

Makahuli man kasi ng halagang P1 bilyong halaga ng droga mula sa sindikato, wala ring kakaiba sapagkat kung mapapatunayan sa korte, pagkakakulong na habambuhay lang din ang kaparusahan!

* * *

Salamat sa mga mambabatas na nagsusulong ng ilang mahalagang amendments sa Republic Act 9165 o ang Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. 

Naipasa na kamakailan sa mababang kapulungan ang ilang mga panukalang pagbabago sa nasabing batas. Ang proposed amendments ay para hindi na basta-basta mababasura ang kaso laban sa mga drug suspects dahil sa mga mabababaw na teknikalidad.

Marahil naisip na rin ng mga kongresista na isulong ang pag-amyenda rito  dahil sa pagkaka-dismiss ng kaso kontra sa Alabang Boys kamakailan. Subalit sa katotohanan, maraming mga drug-related cases ang ibinabasura ng korte dahil sa mga teknikalidad. At dahil diyan, maraming mga drug suspects ang napapalaya upang ipagpatuloy ang kanilang iligal na aktibidad.

Isang butas na pinalaki ng defense lawyers ng Alabang Boys ay ang pagkabigo ng mga operatiba ng Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) na isagawa ang tinatawag na on-site inventory. 

Sa ilalim po kasi ng kasalukuyang batas, kailangan isagawa ang pag-imbentaryo sa nabawing mga droga sa lugar mismo kung saan nadakip ang suspects. Ang kabiguan ng mga arresting officers na isagawa ito ay nahahantong sa “breaking the chain of evidence.” Ito’y isang teknikalidad na maaaring ika-basura ng kaso kahit matibay ang ebidensya kontra sa suspects.

Sa ilalim ng amendments na ipinanukala ni House Dangerous Drugs panel Chairman at Iligan Congressman Vicente Belmonte, ang inventory ng nabawing droga o anumang kontrabando ay maaaring isagawa sa pinakamalapit na police station o tanggapan ng PDEA. 

Kailangan lamang na mayroon saksi mula sa media o isang elected official upang patotohanan na hindi nagtanim ng ebidensya ang mga arresting officers. Sa pananaw ko ay praktikal lamang ang proposed amendment na ito dahil maraming drug seizure operations ay nagaganap sa mga madidilim at mapanganib na lugar.

Hindi ko po nais na gawin masyadong madali na makapagpa-convict ng sinumang suspect. Hindi rin nakaligtas sa ating kaalaman na mayroong mga pulis na nagtatanim ng ebidensya upang idiin ang suspects. 

Kailangan talaga ng safeguard measures sa batas upang protektahan ang mga inosenteng nasasakdal. Subalit malinaw na mayroon din mga teknikalidad sa umiiral na batas na sadyang walang saysay! Madalas ginagamit ng mga drug lords ang legal technicalities at loopholes na ito para manatiling “untouchables!”

Umaasa tayo na susuportahan din ng mga senador ang panukalang amendments sa R.A. 9165 sa sandaling umakyat na ito sa bicameral level.

* * *

Greed o pagiging sakim kaya ang dahilan kung bakit nahaharap sa mahabang pagkakakulong ang isang Baguio-based engineer ng isang multi-national company?

Si Engineer John Paul Quiazon Kwo ay nagmula sa isang mayaman na Chinese-Filipino family. Maganda ang kanyang posisyon at malaki ang kanyang sahod sa Texas Instruments Philippines, Inc. 

Sa kanyang edad na 30, maituturing siyang isang successful young corporate guy.  Kung iisipin ay wala na siyang dahilan para pasukin ang iligal na sideline. Subalit nitong nakalipas na October 13, si Kwo ay naaresto ng mga operatiba ng Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) sa isang drug buy-bust operation.

Kasamang naaresto ni Kwo ang kanyang girlfriend na si Maria Jamella Rizza Tavarez. Lumalabas sa imbestigasyon na nagmula rin sa isang nakaririwasang pamilya itong si Tavarez. Ang dalawang ito ay matagal nang nasa watchlist ng PDEA dahil sa kanilang ugnayan sa mga drug syndicates.

Kung hindi sila nakisawsaw sa droga, wala sanang problema ngayon sina Kwo at Tavarez. Hindi nila problema ang pera dahil marami na sila nito -- kaya’t mahirap maunawaan kung anong kalokohan ang pumasok sa utak ng mga taong ito! 

Posible kaya na drug users din ang mga ito kaya hindi sila makakalas sa malagim na mundo ng droga? O ’di kaya baka mga thrill seekers lamang sila na naghahanap ng excitement?

Ano man ang kanilang naging motibo, nasa huli na ang kanilang pagsisisi. Kumpiyansa ako na hindi na sila maisasalba ng kanilang salapi dahil matibay ang kaso natin laban sa kanila! Hindi na po natin pababayaan na maulit ang malungkot na kinahantungan ng Alabang Boys case!

Kayong mga isinilang sa mga may-kayang pamilya, magpasalamat kayo at hindi ninyo dapat paghirapan ang mga karangyaan sa buhay. Pahalagahan ninyo kung anong mayroon kayo at huwag niyong sayangin ang inyong swerte. Tandaan ninyo ang sarap na tinatamasa niyo ngayon ay pinag-hirapan ng inyong mga magulang at inyong mga Lolo at Lola!

Iwasan ninyo ang droga dahil pawang luha at problema lang ang inyong mapapala diyan!

(Para sa inyong impormasyon, suhestiyon, o reklamo, mag-text lamang po kayo dito sa number ko: 09159509746 o di kaya                 ay mag-email sa wagkukurap_101@yahoo.com.ph)

Mediamen na kinasuhan ng libel sa Pangasinan, tiniyak na haharapin ang kaso

Libel case respondent Mortz Ortigoza. He is one of the three staff of Northern Watch Newspaper who was sued by Board Member Alfie Bince

DAGUPAN CITY - Nakahandang harapin ng ilang mamamahayag ang kasong isinampa laban sa kanila ni 6th district board member Alfonso Bince.

Ayon sa kolumnistang si Mortz Ortigoza ng Weekly newspaper, nagtataka rin siya kung bakit magsasampa ng kaso si Bince gayong hindi nabanggit ang pangalan nito at walang direktang akusasyon laban sa kanya na tumatanggap ng jueteng payola.

Binigyang diin ni Mortz na hindi siya dapat ang idinemanda ni Bince kundi ang kanyang source.

Itinuturing ni Mortz na ito ay harassment sa kanila bilang media practioner dahil nandamay pa ng iba.

Sa pangyayaring ito, lalo umanong nagduda ang ilan na tumanggap nga ng jueteng payola ang ilang lokal na opisyal.

Una rito, pormal nang isinampa ang kasong libelo laban kay Ortigoza at iba pang mamamahayag dahil sa umano'y mapanirang artikulo na umano'y tumatanggao ng P40,000 na jueteng payola ang mga bokal sa lalawigan na pinabulaanan naman ng mga board member (Bombo Radyo ).

Board member files libel raps vs newspaper columnist, others

 

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan, Oct. 18 — A provincial Board Member of Pangasinan has filed a case of libel against a newspaper columnist who wrote an item allegedly insinuating that members of the legislative body are receiving P40,000 each as monthly payola from operators of the illegal numbers game “jueteng”.
After weeks of contemplating on whether to pursue the case, Sixth District Provincial Board Member Alfonso Bince Jr. finally made up his mind to file the suit against Mortz Ortigoza, columnist of the weekly newspaper “Northern Watch”.
Invoking Article 353 of the Revised Penal Code in filing the case, Bince included as among the respondents Yolanda Sotelo, publisher; Brando Cortez, editor; and one John Doe, proprietor of the newspaper.
The case stemmed from the July 24, 2011 issue of the paper in which Ortigoza wrote in his column entitled “Perspective” that most provincial board members were receiving P40,000 monthly payola from jueteng, quoting another Provincial Board Member, Danilo Uy, of the fifth district of Pangasinan.
He insinuated in his column that some board members were adamant in welcoming the Loterya ng Bayan (LnB) as they were allegedly receiving P40,000 monthly payola from jueteng.
Uy, who Ortigoza said was the source of his claim, flatly denied the statement, stressing that he never said those words attributed to him by the columnist. (PNA)

ORTIGOZA: Judge in cahoots with the police?

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

Eng.Reynaldo Mencias,  Project Manager of the multi-billion pesos funded Agno River Integrated Irrigation Project (ARRIP), was on hot seat recently in a modified program of ABS-CBN – Dagupan City.

I asked him via phone-patch if it was true that government offices like Department of Public Works & Highway, National Irrigation Authority, Department of Agriculture, and others forego the pre-audit by the Commission on Audit of “sounding ( a gauge using a rod to know how deep the river and lake are from the water bed up to the surface before and after the dredging)” every time there is a dredging operation.

“Yes, there was a circular that pre-audit for dredging has been abolished,” he said.

Susmariosep, without a pre-audit of heavily silted river that needs dredging, vultures in Congress and bigwigs of those government offices I mentioned  could feast more because of the loot they can get from the dredge.

As you know corruption at a dredging operation reached as much as 60 percent.

It means P6 million out of the P10 Million budget goes to the pocket of grafters.

Now I know why some towns and cities are flooded every time there is a drizzle or typhoon.

***

Who is this judge who interceded for the downgrading of a case filed by the Lingayen police against a certain Dr. Andico -- a professor of the Pangasinan State University?

According to a source, Andico was arrested and locked-up by the police because of illegal possession of a 9mm pistol in Andrea Beer house in Lingayen last October 6.

“He should be charged with Illegal Possession of Firearm and not Alarm and Scandal,” my source whispered to me.

Alarm & Scandal carries either a mere penalty or fine of Arresto Menor (1 day to 30 days imprisonment) or 200 pesos.

Illegal Possession of Firearm metes a penalty and fine of  prision correctional in its maximum period  ( up to 6 years in prison) and a fine of not less that Fifteen Thousand pesos(P15,000.00) as based on the amended Republic Act No. 8294.

***

Dr. Danny Sison, Assistant Superintendent of the Department of Education in Pangasinan- 1 and head of its Bids & Award Committee (BAC) would not entertain media men in his office recently who want to ask him some questions why a DepEd funded school building sans paint, toilet, ceiling, to name a few cost P750 thousand while its counterpart building with all the amenities the former lacks costs only P350,000.

According to my source, Sison would immediately entertain if the visitors in his office are contractors and suppliers.

***

I doff my hat to Binalot food chain president Rommel Juan and Pangasinan Area franchise owner Ruffy Meneses. They surely know the role played by the media vis-a-vis their products. Recently, they graced a franchise agreement signing and press conference for the national and local media like TV and print.

These guys surely know that without a wide coverage of media, nobody would know their affordable and unique fast food products.

This event held at Dagupena Restaurant recently could not be more successful without the able stewardship of former college professor and now blogger Simon Francis Blais Vistro.

O, Francis mababasa na itong PR ko dito sa inyo worldwide. Mag pa-inom ka na!

You can read my selected intriguing but thought-provoking columns athttp://mortzortigoza.blogspot.com. You can send comments too at totomortz@yahoo.com).

De Venecia’s P16.5 M to solve Tapuac’s flood woes

Sabotage by Political Opponents: Tapuac Brgy. Captain Jake Reyes just exposed that the caused of the flooding at the stretched of Amado  Area in Tapuac was the result of piles of sand bags (background ) thrown inside the drainage system  that clogged there. He said he suspected his political nemesis  to be behind this sabotage

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

DAGUPAN CITY- The woes of residents in Brgy. Tapuac here who suffered perennial flooding might be over after Pangasinan Rep. Gina de Venecia announced recently a P16.5 million packages of raising the grade and construction of a  drainage system  near Trauma Hospital & Specialist Center to Amado Area.

Tapuac, particularly the entire stretch of Amado, earned a bad image for the past years because of her vulnerability to floods even with just a drizzle.

“The problem in our barangay  is the drainage system that should carry the water out  was not completed because the private owner of a fishpond (where the exit of the drainage is located) stopped its construction,” Village councilman Sydney Lomboy told this paper in an early interview .

Lomboy lamented the fiasco the drainage project brought to the people there and the obnoxious and eye sore piles of garbage at the back of Lyceum Northwestern University.

Brgy. Captain Jake Reyes said that the flooding in the village is hopeless as Tapuac is located in a lower level of the demography of the city. But he was quick to say that other low level barangays like Malued and Mangin are worst hit every time there is typhoon.

Flood prone villages in Dagupan are Salisay, Tebeng, Bacayao , Norte, Bacayao Sur, Lasip Grande, Lasip Chico , and Pogo Grande .

“What we need is to level up by filling of soil the areas like Green Fields to avoid flood to their households. But people there are not amenable because it is quite expensive,” Reyes said.

A source who asked anonymity blamed the other causes of the flood to owners of big business like private schools who constructed buildings at areas that once a fishpond and a catch basin every time rain falls.

Meanwhile, de Venecia said that she has allotted a total of 147 million pesos to construct five major road and drainage system projects in the city. First of which is the on-going construction of road and drainage system of Bonuan Gueset, to be finished this December, worth P45M.

The other three (3) projects, which will start at the first quarter of 2012 are: Rehabilitation of the drainage along Arellano- Bani, and concreting of road shoulder, from Dawel to Tanap bridge, worth P18.5 million; Raising of grade and construction of drainage of Mayombo, from junction of Perez Boulevard to Villaflor hospital, worth 47 million; and the raising of grade and construction of drainage of Lucao section, from the junction of old De Venecia Hi-way to the junction of new De Venecia hi- way, worth 20 million.

Urdaneta accepts Mangaldan’s wastes

The soft-spoken Mayor Hermie Romero of Mangaldan exhorts his constituents to observe religiously the segregation of their waste to help mitigate the rubbish problem his town faces.

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

URDANETA CITY – Mayor Amado Perez IV  said  he welcomed  towns in Pangasinan like Mangaldan to dump their garbage in the city’s sanitary landfill,  but with limitations.

Perez said  Mangaldan Mayor Herminio Romero can dump his town’s garbage at the landfill anytime, but has to pay the tipping fee of P900 per ton.

He said  Alcala dumped  five  tons a week of segregated garbage at the P220 million sanitary landfill located at Brgy. Catablan here.

During the ecological rally in Mangaldan recently, Romero said that just like neighboring Dagupan City, his town could face problem  at the town’s limited dumpsite areas,  unless residents cooperate by segregating their wastes before disposing.

He said his administration resorted to a control dumpsite in Brgy. Banaoang that he wanted to convert into an ecological park.

Perez said he gave limit to other Local Government Units because he feared that the landfill will be full up in five years time, and even less if the garbage is not segregated.

“Parang dumpsite sa Tarlac, sira na,”he explained.

He said this city disposes 40 to 50 tons of segregated wastes daily.

He said this city officials have not yet computed if the P220 million loan from the Land Bank of the Philippines can be recouped after this city accepts garbage of other towns and cities.

Perez clarified that the construction of the multi-million of pesos landfill was primarily created to solve this city’s growing garbage problem.