CAGAYAN de Oro Councilor Joey ‘Pepe’ Abbu on Monday, May 19, said the city’s garbage collection contractor, Tencil, should be penalized for failing to fulfill its service obligations.

Abbu criticized City Local Environment and Natural Resources Office (Clenro) head Armin Cuenca for claiming that Tencil’s failure to collect garbage was due to the recent elections.

“How can we blame nga ang mga collector sa Tencil tungod kay naka-kwarta, sa unsa, sa eleksyon?” Abbu said.

He pointed out that Tencil has a contractual obligation to the local government, and failure to perform should trigger a penalty clause.

“Dapat i-enforce na sya sa (local government) ang penalty clause kay naa may laps ang Tencil sa iyang performance sa ilang duty,” said Abbu, who is also a lawyer.

TRASHY SUNSET: A mountain of garbage mars the view of the sunset at Macajalar Bay along the coastal road in Lapasan, Cagayan de Oro. This scene is one of several circulating on social media, highlighting the growing issue of uncollected waste in the city. Tencil, the contracted garbage collector, has yet to comment on the situation. (Photo courtesy of Stephanie Berganio)

Abbu also cited the privilege speech of Councilor Imee Rose Moreno, noting that Tencil had failed to attend previous committee meetings related to waste management — neither the company nor its representatives showed up.

He emphasized that enforcing solid waste management, which is mandated by national law, is the responsibility of the local government — not the public.

“So, kita mo-enforce, kung naa tay klaro nga enforcement, musunod man sad ang tao,” Abbu added.

Referring to Tencil’s alleged involvement in elections, Abbu warned that financial gain cannot justify neglect of duties.

“Dili tungod kay nakasapi na sila sa eleksyon, dili na sila manarbaho — that is a breach of contract. Magbayad sya ug penalty kay iya manang trabaho. Imagine, for one week gibyaan ang atong syudad, walay collection sa basura — hugaw kaayo,” he said.

Meanwhile, City Information Officer Ian Fuentes said the City Legal Office is investigating the matter further.

On May 20, Tencil and Clenro held a closed-door meeting during which Tencil’s management committed to collecting all uncollected garbage within three days.

In a statement, Tencil said its management “reassures the public of their strong commitment in accelerating efforts to resolve the garbage situation and to restore normal conditions as quickly as possible.”