ENVIRONMENT Secretary Roy Cimatu warned local government officials that they will face criminal and administrative charges if they continue to operate phased-out open dumps and controlled dump facilities, which are prohibited under the law.
Cimatu said it was high time the local government units (LGUs) be pressed to comply with the provisions of Republic Act (RA) 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.
“LGUs are our partners in environmental management, and our coordination is vital in implementing Philippine environmental laws that have been recognized as the best in the world,” Cimatu said.
“However, LGU officials that violate our laws must be responsible for their actions. They will be made accountable for their crimes including incompetence to implement RA 9003, which has been in effect for 17 years now,” he said.
Cimatu said that, as much as possible, filing of criminal charges against LGU officials would be the last thing on his mind.
“The emphasis is for the DENR to work with the LGUs in resolving the perennial problems in waste management. At the end of the day, government agencies must work together to be able to properly implement the law,” he said.
Last August, the DENR ordered the permanent closure of the Payatas sanitary landfill in Quezon City due to serious environmental violations and susceptibility to trash slide. (SDR/SunStar Philippines)