Cebu City Council to probe Binaliw trash slide

Local

WITH the last of the 36 victims of the Binaliw landfill tragedy now recovered, the focus at City Hall has shifted from rescue to reckoning.

The Cebu City Council has moved to hold an executive session to summon environmental regulators and the private landfill operator behind the collapsed dumpsite to extract answers over a disaster that many officials say could have been prevented.

The executive session, tentatively scheduled for Jan. 28, will call in the Department of Environment and Natural Resources–Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB), Prime Waste Solutions (PWS), and several city offices, including the Department of Public Services, CCENRO, CCDRRMO, and barangay officials of Binaliw.

The move followed an emotional but pointed privilege speech by Councilor Pastor Alcover Jr., who framed the January 8 garbage slide as “more than a tragic accident.”

“This was not a natural disaster alone. This was a preventable tragedy,” Alcover said.

He recounted how tons of waste from the landfill buried homes, killed 36 residents, injured others, and devastated families in the upland barangay.

Alcover reminded colleagues that warnings had long been raised about the landfill’s safety and that even Mayor Nestor Archival had publicly stated in mid-2025 that the site could be closed if violations continued.

“Despite repeated complaints, despite visible risks, and despite the known dangers of operating a dumpsite in a residential area, no decisive action followed,” he added.

He also criticized what he described as the absence of a strong public stance from the city’s executive leadership in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy, particularly in holding the landfill operator accountable and ensuring swift financial assistance for victims’ families.

Prime Waste Solutions, which operates the landfill, is owned by businessman Enrique Razon Jr.

Alcover said the company’s size and resources made the failure even more troubling.

“With that capacity, the public expects the highest standards of safety and compliance,” he said.

The council initially debated creating a special fact-finding committee, but disagreements emerged during the discussion.

Councilor Sisinio Andales questioned the need for a local investigation, noting that Senator Imee Marcos had already called for a Senate inquiry into the incident. He warned that parallel probes could lead to conflicting findings and unnecessary duplication.

Alcover pushed back, saying the city could not afford to wait.

“We do not know when the Senate inquiry will happen,” he said. “Our people want answers now.”

Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña weighed in, stressing that the landfill collapse is a highly technical issue and cautioning against rushing into conclusions without expert input.

He suggested that the council first require DENR to formally explain what went wrong and what safeguards should have been in place.

That position ultimately prevailed.

Instead of immediately forming a special committee, the council agreed to call an executive session to directly question DENR-EMB, PWS, and concerned city agencies behind closed doors.

The council’s action comes as Cebu City formally transitions from recovery to accountability.

Archival earlier said the city would join any investigation initiated by DENR and confirmed that the Binaliw landfill remains indefinitely closed following a cease-and-desist order.

The closure has left Cebu City scrambling for alternative waste disposal sites outside the city, while more than 100 affected families continue to rely on government and private assistance.(TGP)