BUSINESSMAN Crisologo Saavedra Jr. asked the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) 7 on Monday, March 9, 2026, to investigate the Jan. 8 Binaliw landfill collapse that killed 36 people.
Saavedra said an NBI parallel probe will speed up fact-finding and ensure an impartial review of the disaster. He filed a similar complaint with the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas on March 6.
Allegations
He accused Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) 7 officials of negligence, saying the facility operated as an open dumpsite for eight years, violating its 2017 environmental compliance certificate which required a sanitary landfill.
The disaster left 36 dead and several injured after a garbage mass buried houses in Sitio Kainsikan, Barangay Binaliw. The site had two operators over the years: ARN Central Waste Management Inc. managed it for five years, followed by Prime Integrated Waste Solutions Inc. for three years. During this time, millions of tons of untreated waste accumulated in the limited area.
What went wrong
Saavedra’s complaint said the site lacked critical safeguards, creating an unstable foundation. Missing protections included leachate and gas collection systems, proper water drainage and protective liners to stop toxic leaks.
Saavedra alleged the collapse was caused by unsafe operations, not natural disasters. He warned of long-term risks from toxic water and methane gas, pushing for multiple homicide and anti-graft charges against liable operators and officials. (CAV)