Officials and personnel of the Baguio City Police Office are taking the lead role in implementing the order of City Mayor Mauricio Domogan to punish those who illegally dispose their garbage.

BCPO officer-in-charge Roberto Soriano said the mayor’s order is embodied in Administrative Order 89-2012.

Soriano said policemen who fail to follow the order could be relieved.

“Even my fellow officers who are station commanders and heads of offices will be relieved from their duties if they cannot implement the order,” he told personnel of the BCPO.

He said while the BCPO is only a member of the task force, “the police would rather be part of the solution and not the problem.”

Soriano also reminded the public to obey rules on the proper disposal of their garbage. He said these should be brought only at collection areas or “face the full force of the law.”

He also advised fellow officers to coordinate with all barangay leaders.

Soriano added his order is in consonance with the duties and responsibilities of the task force which includes apprehension of violators of anti-littering and illegal/indiscriminate dumping of solid wastes, to bring the violators to the nearest police station for documentation and further needed action, to appear as witnesses in court and other judicial bodies whenever necessary, to monitor the compliance of residents in the segregation of garbage at source, to compel residents to bring out their garbage only during the scheduled pick up days and time and to ensure violators paid their fines or served their sentences as prescribed by the courts.

“There is a need to create a task force to focus on enforcing the laws related to the city’s solid waste management policy,” Domogan stated in the AO.