BINALIW LANDFILL ISSUE: DENR-7 asked to probe EMB exec’s absence in council session

Local

A KEY environmental regulator was absent when the Cebu City Council sought answers on the continued operation of the Binaliw landfill.

The City Council is now asking the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Central Office to investigate why the DENR Environmental Management Bureau Region VII (DENR-EMB VII) failed to send a representative to the September 8 executive session.

Councilor Jun Alcover authored the resolution seeking the investigation, which the Sangguniang Panlungsod approved on Tuesday, Sept. 8.

The executive session was part of the council’s continuing inquiry into the operation, rehabilitation, environmental compliance, and safety of the landfill in Barangay Binaliw.

DENR-EMB VII was specifically invited to the session along with the Cebu City Office of the Building Official (OBO), Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CCDRRMO), Cebu City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CCENRO), and a representative of Prime Waste Solutions Inc.

The council wanted the agencies to discuss the results of ocular inspections and, in particular, the technical and regulatory basis for keeping the landfill operational while rehabilitation is ongoing.

According to the resolution, no representative from DENR-EMB VII appeared before the council.

The resolution also states that, as of the conduct of the executive session, no sufficient or justifiable explanation for the bureau’s non-attendance had been formally communicated to the City Council.

The council said the absence prevented it from obtaining the technical and regulatory explanations it had specifically sought regarding the landfill’s continued operation.

These included questions on environmental regulations, permits and compliance requirements, as well as the circumstances under which Prime Waste Solutions Inc. was allowed to continue operating the facility during rehabilitation.

The council considered DENR-EMB VII’s participation particularly important because of the bureau’s environmental regulatory role.

Without its representative, the council said its ability to fully carry out its legislative, oversight and public accountability functions was hampered.

With the bureau absent, the City Council is asking the DENR Central Office, through the Office of the Secretary, to determine what happened.

The resolution asks the national office to establish whether DENR-EMB VII received proper notice of the executive session and whether its non-attendance was authorized and justified.

It also asks the DENR Central Office to determine, if warranted, whether administrative accountability should attach to the officials or personnel responsible.

The council is further requesting a written report from the DENR Central Office detailing the results of its investigation and any action taken.

To support the request, the council will transmit copies of the resolution and related records, including the earlier council resolution authorizing the executive session, the official invitation and notice, attendance records, minutes or documentation of the proceedings, and other relevant documents.

The latest resolution comes as the City Council continues to examine the operation and rehabilitation of the Binaliw landfill.

The September 8 executive session was intended to bring together city offices, the environmental regulator and the landfill operator to discuss the results of inspections and the basis for the facility’s continued operation while rehabilitation is underway.

The council acknowledged that national government agencies have their own mandates and independence.

However, it said this does not remove the need for proper coordination and official communication with a duly constituted local legislative body, particularly on matters involving the safety, health, environment and welfare of Cebu City residents.

The resolution does not establish that DENR-EMB VII intentionally refused to attend the executive session or that its officials committed an administrative offense.

Rather, the council is asking the DENR Central Office to determine the circumstances surrounding the absence, including whether the bureau received proper notice and whether its non-attendance was justified.(TGP)