By the Bohol Chronicle
Two heads of offices became "ghosts" when they failed to appear before city lawmakers during last Friday's session of the Sangguniang Panlungsod, when everyone was expecting them to be present because of the pressing concern on garbage.
City Health officer Antonio Porticos and City Engr. Edmund Jimenez were barred from attending the session despite formal invitation issued by the city SP for them to shed light on the garbage problem at the Dampas dump site.
The gag order was issued by the city mayor as for him the two officials "have better things to do than honor an invitation that is at best an insult to them and the offices they represent."
The invitation for Porticos and Jimenez was decided during the session presided by majority bloc Kagawad Edgar Bompat. However, the invitation was denied by the mayor.
The mayor said "they have nothing more to say since they have already been subjected to trial by publicity and their appearance becomes moot and academic."
The issue stemmed from the mounting complaint of Dampas residents that the dumpsite was neglected causing the garbage to pile up like a "mountain" blocking the road at the dumpsite.
When checked by Vice Mayor Jose Antonio Veloso at the site, it was found out that the bulldozer of the city government which is used to level off the garbage was out of service for two months already.
In fact, Dampas Barangay Captain Fredison Ingles and lady kagawad Aida Barafon led public indignation on the unattended problem at the dumpsite despite the frequent visit of the city mayor to the different barangays.
The mounting complaints led to the solution of the problem since it effected the repair of the bulldozer two days after visited by the vice mayor together with Kagawad Edi Borja, chairman of the health committee, Kagawad Bebin Inting and barangay captain Ingles.
The open dumpsite is a "social volcano" expected to erupt anytime considering that it is receiving no less than 100 tons of garbage daily.
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