Saturday, September 27, 2008 Rizal town police chief quits post
THE chief-of-police of the town of Rodriguez in Rizal Province resigned Friday from his post due to "intense pressure" amid the clash between Rizal Governor Casimiro Ynares III and Rodriguez Mayor Pedro Cuerpo.
According to Police Provincial Director Ireneo Dordas, Rodriguez Police chief Henry Daaca tendered his resignation before noon Friday.
"He (Daaca) told me that he could no longer stand the pressure, which made him decide to give up his post," Dordas said.
He said he had already assigned Superintendent Rudino Elfa as officer-in-charge of the Rodriguez Municipal Police Office.
The town police chief allegedly failed to implement orders from the governor to clear the area near the 19-hectare Rizal Provincial Sanitary Landfill where Cuerpo and his supporters occupy.
A truck, chains, and around 300 supporters of Cuerpo tried to block entry to the landfill by putting up soil barricades and forming a human chain.
Operation of the Rizal landfill was however resumed, according to Ynares.
"Bukas na yung landfill at tuloy tuloy na ang operasyon (The landfill is already open and the operations have resumed)," Ynares said after conducting a surprise inspection of the controversial facility Friday afternoon.
The governor said the dump trucks from Caloocan and Makati City were granted entry to throw their garbage into the facility late Thursday evening.
Earlier, Ynares instructed Dordas to ensure peace and order in Barangay San Isidro in the town where the landfill is located.
"I just ordered Colonel Dordas to maintain peace and order. I just asked the good colonel to ensure that there would be no obstruction to the public roads," he said.
The governor has insisted that the Provincial Government has authority over the landfill and that the host Municipal Government has no legal right to impose closure on the facility.
The dumpsite in Rodriguez remains in limbo due to conflicting positions of local officials.
Cuerpo said the Municipal Government is stopping the landfill's operation to protect the public and the environment.
"We will no longer allow its operator, Swims (Solid Waste Integrated Management Specialists) to continue polluting our rivers," he said.
The closure order was issued after municipal environment officials said leachate from the dumpsite was being diverted to the nearby Lukutang Maliit river.
But Ynares said that operations of the landfill resumed Thursday night with dump trucks ferrying garbage from the cities of Caloocan and Makati able to gain entry to the facility.
Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) general manager Robert Nacianceno meanwhile appealed to the public not to believe reports that a garbage crisis is in the offing in the metropolis due to the latest controversy.
"We have other alternative dumping sites at nag-divert tayo dun ng ilang trucks nung hindi pa pinapayagang makapasok pero sa ngayon okey na (and we diverted other trucks there when they weren't allowed entry, but now it is okay)," Nacianceno said.
The alternative dumping sites include a facility in Tanza, Navotas; Pier 18 in Manila; and San Pedro in Laguna. (AH/Sunnex)
