Wednesday, November 29, 2006 Palace orders sanctions on those behind illegal chemical disposal
MALACANANG on Tuesday directed authorities to mete the full force of the law against those responsible for the chemical dumping in Marilao in Bulacan that led to the hospitalization of at least 60 persons.
Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye, in an interview over radio station dzEC, said it is about time that the government ends the illegal dumping of chemicals at the expense of the public's health.
Bunye said the government should "throw the book at them", adding that local government authorities and the police have been directed to determine and punish those responsible for the incident.
Police had initially identified the truck owner as Evelyn Sto. Tomas following the arrest of the truck driver Lope Reyes and assistant Jose Arnaldo in Sta. Maria also in Bulacan, hours after the dumping of the toxic chemicals in the Marilao river.
Teams from the University of the Philippines (UP) Poison Control Center and the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) have already been sent to the site to help identify the chemicals while classes at the Sta. Rosa Elementary School were suspended after it was turned into an evacuation center for residents from the affected areas.
The chemical dumping in Bulacan occurred a day after a chemical leak at the science laboratory of the San Isidro National High School in Makati City, which resulted in the evacuation of at least 100 people mostly residing near the school and hospitalization of 10 others.
Meanwhile, Senator Pilar Juliana "Pia" Cayetano called on government authorities to waste no time in bringing to justice all those responsible for the illegal dumping of chemical wastes onto the Rosario River in Marilao, Bulacan.
"These shameless polluters deserve to be jailed and must be held accountable with the full force of the law," said Cayetano, who chairs the Senate environment committee, adding that the police should not be satisfied with the arrests of Reyes and Arnaldo.
Cayetano, who co-heads the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee on the Clean Water Act, said the perpetrators could face up to P3 million in penalties and imprisonment of up to 10 years if proven guilty of committing gross violation of Republic Act (RA) 9275 or The Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004.
She added that the environment secretary may also recommend the closure or suspension of the facility involved.
"This incident highlights the urgency for stricter enforcement of our environmental laws and the need to increase awareness on the effects of the pollutant to our water system," she said.
She called on local government leaders and residents of Marilao and adjoining towns to closely coordinate with environment officials to prevent similar incidents in the future, especially since the town of Marilao had long been identified as an area of concern. (JMR/CPB/Sunnex)
