Green guards deployed to prevent ‘bricks heist’

Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas ordered the deployment of green guards and police auxiliaries to the Muelle Loney Promenade in Lapuz district after pieces of bricks or paver blocks in the linear park went missing.

The mayor expressed dismay after authorities found out that the blocks suddenly went missing at the Muelle Loney Promenade. A blank patch where the bricks were once laid out has marred the landscape of the Promenade.

“Pabutangan ta sang green guard and police auxiliary. We are very sad, amo na ginaubra., ginaubra ta na para sa mga Ilonggos para manami man so dapat amligan taman sang maayo kay these are developments,” Treñas lamented in an interview with the Uswag Patrol program of the city government last May 7, 2021.

Sixty-two-year-old Ponciano Aranda, who collected the remaining bricks, revealed that the blocks were removed by youngsters who visited the area while the other bricks were being used by some fishermen to support their fishing rods while fishing.

“Nakit-an ko na ginkakas ang iban amo na gintipon ko. Ang mga kabataan amo na ginakuha nila dayon ang mga nagapangisda ginagamit nila nga kalso sa ila fishing rod. Dira nila ginasandig ang rod kag ginakalso nila ang bricks para may sandigan ila nga rod,” he said.

Aside from the missing bricks, authorities also noted that lamps in the area were also destroyed while some plant boxes contained litters and cigarette buts.

Following the incident, Treñas has appealed to the Ilonggos to help the city government in cleaning the metro.

The mayor stressed that the cleanliness of the city is a shared responsibility between the city government and the Ilonggo residents.

“Gapanawagan kita nga buligan man kita sang mga pumuluyo para matinluan ang aton syudad. The cleanliness of the city is not only the responsibility of the city government. If we want to have Iloilo City as one of the most livable cities, we cannot do it alone. Dapat buliligan ta tanan,” he noted. (ERS)