A HEATED exchange broke out Wednesday, January 28, 2026, between Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival and Councilor Pastor “Jun” Alcover Jr. during an executive session over accountability and the handling of the Binaliw landfill before its deadly collapse.
The confrontation began after Alcover pressed Nestor Archival about his earlier calls to close the landfill when he was still a city councilor. Those calls followed repeated complaints from residents living near the site.
Questions on accountability
Presiding Officer Winston Pepito asked the mayor what actions could have been taken earlier to prevent the incident and how the city’s response, including rescue operations, could have been improved.
Archival said problems at the Binaliw site had existed for years. He admitted lapses by both national regulators and the city government.
“We could have done more back then. We knew there was a problem,” Archival said in a mix of Cebuano and English.
He added that while the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has regulatory control over landfills, the city government also shares responsibility for allowing the situation to continue.
“What’s important now is that we investigate together with the DENR and address the crisis we are facing,” he said.
Doubts over DENR-led probe
Alcover questioned the credibility of an investigation led only by the DENR. He cited what he described as repeated violations at the dumpsite over many years.
“If we only rely on the DENR to investigate, it would be better if there were no investigation at all,” Alcover said in a mix of Cebuano and English.
He recalled that Archival had earlier called for a cease and desist order against the landfill because of resident complaints. Alcover asked how those statements matched the mayor’s current position, since Binaliw remained the city’s main dumping site until the Jan. 8 trash slide.
Alcover also asked whether the probe would include the City Council, City Hall and independent environmental experts, not just the DENR.
Mayor defends working with regulators
Archival said the DENR remains the main authority over landfills and stressed that the city must work with regulators instead of rejecting them.
“If we say that even a national agency cannot be trusted, then we are saying we cannot trust our own system,” he said.
Alcover countered that violations at Binaliw had been visible for years. He said that by 2024, the garbage had already grown into what he described as a “mountain,” an issue he raised in a privilege speech.
He said he was encouraged by Archival’s statements after the mayor won the June 2025 election, especially remarks about closing the landfill.
“The question I have is, why was a cease and desist order not issued even though we have long seen the violations?” Alcover said. He added that the tragedy might have been avoided if the landfill had been closed earlier.
Garbage disposal constraints
Archival said his earlier objections focused on foul odor from the site, not the growing volume of trash. He said complaints he received were related to nuisance and public health concerns.
He stressed that closing the landfill immediately after taking office was not possible because the city had no other disposal site.
“We produce around 600 tons of garbage a day. If I closed it right away, where would we put the garbage?” Archival said. He noted that he has been in office for less than 200 days.
He said governing required a balancing act. Shutting down the city’s only major landfill without an alternative would have made the waste problem worse.
Call for broader investigation
Alcover said alternatives could have been arranged earlier, including temporary agreements with nearby local government units.
“Now that Binaliw is already damaged, we have been able to find alternatives, so why wasn’t this done before?” he said. He added that he was stating his position and not attacking the mayor personally.
As tensions rose, Archival stopped responding, saying the discussion had become repetitive.
Despite the exchange, Archival said he supports a joint investigation. He said he would back a technical working group made up of representatives from the City Council, the Office of the Mayor and the DENR.
“I will be very supportive if someone sponsors a resolution creating a technical working group,” he said.
After the closed-door session, Archival and Alcover were seen shaking hands. / CAV