Lawmaker clarifies Irisan Writ accord

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – Representative Ronald Cosalan will continuously monitor the upholding of the Writ of Kalikasan over Baguio City’s trash dumping.

“There is no settlement to this,” Cosalan said. He added that the recent signing of the consent decree enumerates points that the city has to follow.

“This is not a settlement; this only assures they will not dump [garbage at the Irisan dumpsite].”

He added the Permanent Protection Order is yet to be issued by the Supreme Court.

Cosalan led the signing of the Writ of Kalikasan backed by National Artist for visual arts Benedicto Cabrerra, Pedro Buyagao, Erlinda Soriano, Leonardo Taganas, Mike Bunnol, Hilario Palos, Elisa Mariano while the entire local council of Aringay, La Union, likewise backed the Benguet case against the city with Councilors Charlie Chan Juloya, Benjamin Ong Sibuma, Emelio Roland Salting Yaranon, Teresita Oculto Garcia, Vito Dacanay Balangue, Romeo Bernal Cariño, Genoveva Lopez Obra and Victoriano Castro Batario.

The congressman is firm in his stand in keeping the Writ intact to save the province as well as the city from further damage.

“I want to stress that there is no settlement, we cannot forget the damage the trash slides caused,” he said.

The recent moves of both Cosalan and the City Government will be heard at the Court of Appeals but the court decision will have to wait until the position of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the National Solid Waste Management Board are submitted.

Cosalan said until there is a decision of the SC as well as the Court of Appeals, monitoring of dumping will be made periodically at the Irisan dump.

“So that we will know if they are complying.”