A BILL filed by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago seeks to penalize persons or organizations that would encroach on any waterways resonate to an almost-forgotten proposal of a former public official, who envisioned the creation of drainage council of sorts.

Weeks after the series of destructive floods whipped Cagayan de Oro and neighboring Misamis Oriental towns early this year, former councilor and Vice Mayor Ramon Yap floated the creation of a body, which will man the city's drainage system if there was any such system at all, considering the proven abysmal failure of our waterway infrastructure during the January floods.

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The body, Yap suggested, will take care of the evolving needs of a comprehensive drainage system, coordinate with legislature in coming up with environmental laws necessary to protect waterways while keeping tabs on the enforcement of the existing ones.

The council should be permanent, with its members having fixed terms, so as to ensure continuity to both short and long-term plans of the agency.

Yap lamented the impact of the floods would have been mitigated had the creeks and canals been able to take in the sheer water volume and discharge these to the river and the sea.

He has observed that creeks and other natural waterways have been overrun by the rapidly burgeoning population that they are no longer able to perform their natural functions.

We still have to hear from City Hall on Yap's proposal when Senate Bill 3483 surfaced at the Senate, understandably at the timely urging of Typhoons Ondoy.

Santiago's bill seeks to punish as high as P50 million those who encroach on waterways and disrupt the natural flow of water, which eventually leads to frequent and massive flooding.

Persons or business entities also face revocation business permits, among others.

Santiago's proposal should be a "déjà vu" to local officials: harsh punishments are no longer needed if we religiously implement existing environmental laws and, as Yap suggested, this would be done best under a permanent body that acts as watchtower.

City Hall can start by strictly enforcing the legal boundaries of waterway easements.

This may necessitate the relocation of irregular settlers who disturb the natural flow of creeks, canals, gutter, esteros, brooks, riverbanks and other waterways.

These would not be easy for any weak-kneed public official. Nor for any trapo whose lifeline in power are the votes from the gullible masses living in esteros.

But before these could even be initiated, where's that drainage council?