SOME political aspirants in Angeles City have reportedly been cited and issued sanitation tickets by the City Environment and Natural Resources (Cenro) for violating a city ordinance.
Incumbent Councilor Amos Rivera, who is running for city mayor in the 2022 polls, was reportedly the first to receive a sanitation ticket after one of his campaign tarpaulins was discovered nailed on a tree in Barangay Pandan.
Cenro served Rivera a citation ticket for violation of the ordinance on November 26, directing Rivera “to appear at the [Cenro] within three days from date thereof for appropriate disposition of the citation. Failure to appear as required, the city mayor shall, within twenty-four hours, forward the case to the office of the prosecutor for the filing of appropriate charges.”
The tarpaulin was posted by journalist and Pampanga Press Club presidentTonette Orejas on her Facebook with the caption, “Look, a tarp of Bayung Angeles led by Amos Rivera is nailed on a tree in Barangay Pandan. Is this not a violation of the Environmental Code of Angeles City?”
Orejas’ post generated photos of other candidates whose tarpaulins were nailed on trees, as well.
The Cenro said it wrote environmental sanitation tickets to councilors Rivera, JC Parker-Aguas, Danilo Lacson, Jesus Sangil, Alex Indiongco, Joseph Ponce and Barangay Tabun Captain Alma Mercado.
The Environmental Code of Angeles City (City Ordinance 431), specifically Chapter 15 penalizes the posting of billboards, posters, streamers, and similar such promotional materials on trees in public places.
Rivera, Parker-Aguas, Lacson, Sangil and Mercado have yet to issue statements about the violation but SunStar Pampanga continues to reach out to them for their comments.
