HOW the Davao City Environmental care Inc. (DCECI) was able to get its business permit in 2013 in now under question.
This is why Mandaue City Mayor Luigi Quisumbing has ordered the City Legal Office to examine the document.
“Like what we said, if there were any violations we would not hesitate to implement sanctions. Now, it does appear that there were some concession made by the City back in 2013 for DCECI... where a city ordinance and all the inspections and permits given (to the company) through the administration of former mayor now Rep. Jonas Cortes (Cebu, 6th district)...,” the mayor said.
On Friday afternoon, Jan. 18, Quisumbing met with the Solid Waste Management Board to the tackle the problem of medical wastes coming from DCECI.
They also discussed the company's allegation that scavengers were responsible for spreading the medical wastes along the Butuanon River in Barangay Umapad.
Quisumbing told reporters there was a lapse when the City, during the Cortes administration, granted a permit to the company in 2013.
When asked for more information about the contract and Cortes' possible involvement in the issue, Quisumbing responded with "soon to come."
Cortes, for his part, said, "solve the problem, stop making excuses!"
According to the press statement released by Cortes' camp, DCECI started operating in Mandaue City in 2014 and it had not committed any violation then. The company was given a mayor's permit in 2017, when Quisumbing was already mayor.
"The issue here is not when or who granted the permit but as to when and how the violations were done and why it took so long for the City to stop and correct these violations... He (Quisumbing) has again turned this issue into a blaming opportunity. A default defense mechanism when he is cornered by an issue, which is squarely his sole responsibility as mayor," Cortes said.
Cortes is running against Quisumbing for mayor in the May midterm elections. (From FMD of Superbalita Cebu/KAL)