DENR to probe illegal waste dumping in Davao offices

THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) on Monday said it would conduct an investigation into waste dumping activities in its regional offices in Davao City.

In a statement, the DENR said it asked Davao City Mayor Sebastian Z. Duterte to explain the incidents within five days.

It also filed a criminal complaint against the owner of the vehicle caught on CCTV dumping mixed waste in the area, on top of a complaint filed by Ma. Mercedes V. Dumagan, the department’s regional executive director for the Davao Region.

Ms. Dumagan sent a letter of clarification to Mr. Duterte after the department’s personnel caught individuals dumping mixed unsegregated waste in front of its office, which went against the requirements of the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act.

The department is also working with the Philippine National Police to identify other trucks and vehicles seen in the area during the waste dumping incidents.

“These steps help ensure accountability while the city continues to manage the impacts of the landfill suspension,” Ms. Dumagan said in a statement issued by the DENR.

This came after the DENR temporarily closed the New Carmen Sanitary Landfill on May 22 after heavy rainfall caused a garbage landslide in the site that resulted in fatalities.

In a June 4 statement, Mr. Duterte said he designated the department’s Davao regional offices as among the temporary waste collection, “so they can personally appreciate the volume of garbage that accumulates when an essential public service is halted indefinitely.”

“We only hope that decisions affecting around 750 tons of waste daily and nearly two million Dabawenyos are guided not only by regulations, but also by practical realities and common sense,” Mr. Duterte said in a statement.

The office of Mr. Duterte did not immediately respond to e-mail seeking comment. — Marron Joshua F. Mendoza