BACOLOD City’s current garbage hauler IPM-Construction and Development Corporation (CDC) clarified yesterday, July 2, that they are not authorizing their garbage collectors to make a solicitation or ask money from household owners in the city.
Daryl Abiol, project supervisor of IPM-CDC, said the suspect who was arrested by operatives of Police Station 8 on Saturday, June 30, only used the name of IPM-CDC and he is not their employee.
Police records showed that Junar Barrios, 35, of San Dionisio Subdivision, Barangay Granada, was caught soliciting money from residents of Barangay Tangub Saturday afternoon.
Barrios was carrying a solicitation letter with a letterhead of City of Bacolod, Department of Public Services (DPS) with a signature of Perfecto Baquilar, alleged foreman of IPM-CDC, but it was later found out that Baquilar, a former employee of DPS, was already dead.
“He is not our employee and he’s just destroying our name and we are preparing the documents to file the swindling or estafa charges against him. He also used the name of Baquilar,” Abiol said.
He said they are constantly monitoring the performance of their garbage collectors and reminding them not to ask anything from the household owners.
Abiol urged the household owners not to give anything to the garbage collectors.
“Just get the body number of the garbage truck and report it to us including the date and time or call us at our hotline 7075373. We are not tolerating them because this is one of our policies not to ask anything from the household owners,” Abiol said.
He said Barrios admitted that someone told him to do a solicitation by using the name of IPM-CDC and he has some companions doing the same, but the suspect refused to cooperate with them.
Barrios was released yesterday after the lapse of the 36-hour reglementary period and no charges were filed.
Mayor Evelio Leonardia had earlier ordered the City Legal Office (CLO) to conduct an investigation against the suspect for carrying unauthorized solicitation letter bearing the logo of the city government.
Last month, a resident from Barangay Estefania also reported to Mayor Leonardia that some of the IPM-CDC’s garbage collectors were asking for money.