PASAY CITY — President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on Tuesday, January 8, announced a major clean-up of the Manila Bay, warning hotels in the area to refrain from dumping their waste into the sea or else they will face closure.
In a speech before local officials during the Barangay Summit on Peace and Order, President Duterte said he had ordered Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu and Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año to start cleaning up the Manila Bay.
“They will start to clean it, whether they like it or not, lahat itong… Itong mga hotel” he told local officials gathered at the Cuneta Astrodome.
“Lagyan ninyo ng water treatment ‘yang hotel niyo, ‘pag hindi, sirahan ko ‘yan. Huwag mo akong hamunin. Eh kung wala tayong turista, eh ‘di wala. Hindi naman tayo mamamatay. You do something about your waste there or otherwise I will close it. Sigurado ‘yan,” he added.
The President also issued a stern warning to the members of the military and the police to avoid going to bars and other drinking places. He also told them not to bring their guns to those establishments.
“Kaya ‘yang mga pulis — kayong mga pulis, I’m warning you, do not drink in public,” he said. “Sa Davao pinagbawalan ko ‘yan pati kayo na ngayon. All over the Philippines, you do not enter into drinking places.”
“Law enforcement officers and soldiers having drinking spree in beer houses usually results in violent confrontations.” he said.
Addressing barangay officials, the President noted that he expects them to remain committed to the mandates in serving the public.
“I ask our barangay leaders to remain dedicated and honest civil servants. In return, I pledge to you that I will be your strong ally in your crusade to build peaceful communities that we can proudly leave behind to future generations of Filipinos,” he said.
The President also made an assurance that like the protection he extended to the police and the military; he vowed to shield barangay officials facing prosecution as long as the cases filed against them are in connection with the performance of their duties.
Over 4,000 local officials in the National Capital Region participated during Tuesday’s Barangay summit, composed of barangay chairpersons, kagawads on peace and order, city mayors, and other guests.
The summit aims to increase the level of awareness on DILG’s programs particularly in its campaign against illegal drugs, criminality, corruption, violent extremism, and federalism.
Other topics discussed during the barangay summit were the heavy traffic conditions in Metro Manila, DILG priority programs, and the current peace and order situation in the country
Summit organizers also hoped to build a platform for dialogue between the President and barangay officials regarding peace and order in Metro Manila.
