THE Environment Management Board (EMB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is awaiting the recommendation of Mayor Evelio Leonardia for the filing of charges against the villages that violated the “no waste segregation, no collection” policy.
Joan Nathaniel Gerangaya, officer-in-charge of City Environment and Natural Resources Office (Cenro), said the mayor should make a recommendation which barangays that should be penalized.
He said the EMB-DENR is evaluating the status of erring villages relative to compliance of Republic Act (RA) 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act.
Those who will be charged are village chieftain and their councilmen for violation of RA 9003.
Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran, chairman of Solid Waste Action Team (Swat), earlier forwarded the list of the erring villages to the EMB-DENR-Western Visayas for the imposition of the penalty on the village officials.
As of February 2, 33 of Bacolod City's 61 villages have been documented as violators.
These are Barangays 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 16, 20, 22, 24, 28, 29, 35, 38, 40, Alijis, Banago, Bata, Cabug, Estefania, Granada, Handumanan, Mandalagan, Mansilingan, Pahanocoy, Singcang-Airport, Taculing, Tangub, Villamonte, and Vista Alegre.
These erring villages engaged in illegal dumping, and it was documented by the Swat and Solid Waste Educators and Enforcement Team for violation of waste segregation in relation to the implementation of Republic Act 9003.
Gerangaya said the charges will be filed by the DENR regional office.
He said it is the responsibility of the barangay officials to comply with RA 9003.
“The local government units were given the chance to comply with RA 9003, but there are still barangays that failed to comply with the law. We have been implementing this for long years already,” he said.
All of the DENR field officials in Western Visayas will attend a seminar in Iloilo City Wednesday, February 21, for the strict implementation of environmental laws.
Gerangaya said that based on the instruction of Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu, all the DENR officers should be active in the evaluation and monitoring of erring officials.
He said erring officials will be charged for violation of RA 9003 with imprisonment and will be banned from running for public office.