(Environment and Natural Resources Undersecretary Benny Antiporda at the inspection of the illegal dumpsite in Limay, Bataan. Photo courtesy of Mar Jay S. Delas Alas/PIA 3)
LIMAY, Bataan: The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said it will issue a cease and desist order to an open dumpsite in a village here after inspecting it Wednesday.
“Para hindi madagdagan ang basura, bibigyan natin ng cease and desist order upang mapigilan ang pagtatapon dito,” DENR Undersecretary Benny Antiporda said.
“If you will notice sa bandang likod ang Manila Bay at dito punong-puno ng basura. This is another Smokey Mountain in the making. Ang pinagkaiba lang hindi sinusunog ang basura dito pero pinapabyaang ganiyan,” he said.
Pointing to the mountains, he said “mapapansin din natin ang buong kabundukan ay napakaganda pero sinira ng mga basurang ito.”
“Hindi papayagan ni Secretary Cimatu na ganito ang mangyari. Ang creek ginawa nilang kanal. Saan napupunta ang tubig, hindi nila maexplain. Sa theory namin, it ends up in the river,” Antiporda said.
He said that based on the inspection, garbage in the Limay Solid Waste Management Processing Facility were products of years of dumping.
“We will conduct immediate investigation. Year 2015 palang nagkaroon na ng soft closure and rehabilitation ang lugar na ito. Nagtataka lang po tayo kung bakit nagtuloy-tuloy,” he disclosed.
Antiporda said that there was a communication before saying that the area was a transfer station but inspection showed that it was an open dumpsite. He said that wastes were on the foot of the mountains and counted to some stories high.
“Immediately, isu-summon namin ang local government ng Limay para ipaliwanag nila kung bakit nagkaganito,” he said.
He said what they did has no bearing on the elections.
“Wala kaming pakialam sa election. Ang importante sa amin mapangalagaan na tuloy-tuloy ang paglilinis na ginagawa namin sa Manila Bay. If there are areas like this na hindi natin pipigilan, hindi magiging successful ang paglilinis natin. Masasayang lang ang malaking halaga na gugugulin natin,” he said.
