Marcos to hold culprits liable in trash slide
President Marcos on Thursday vowed to exact accountability on those responsible for the tragedy in the Binaliw landfill collapse in Cebu City, as he also assured aid for the victims’ families.
“Please be assured that the government is taking all necessary measures to ensure safety, transparency, accountability and compassionate assistance,” President Marcos said during a speech in Balamban, Cebu, where he visited the shipyard of Japanese shipbuilder Tsuneishi Heavy Industries.
“Burial support and other forms of aid are now being directed to those who have been affected by this tragedy,” he added.
Before he delivered his address, the President asked all attendees to “take a moment of silence” for the victims of the landfill collapse on Jan. 8.
“As search and rescue operations continue, we offer our prayers for the souls of the departed and strength to their grieving families. Please, a moment of silence,” he said. “Let us stand in solidarity with our fellow Filipinos during this difficult time.”
As of 5 p.m. on Thursday, the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) in Cebu City counted 25 fatalities, reducing the number of missing persons to 11, with 18 survivors who all suffered various injuries.
According to the BFP, the latest fatalities were recovered from deeper sections of the landfill as retrieval teams worked through compacted waste and debris amid the stench.
A news release from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) on Thursday noted that search and rescue teams are grappling with the removal of metallic debris “with responders conducting cutting works, equipment assisted lifting, loading and hauling throughout the day.”
New EMB director
“These operations are critical to clearing access points and enabling teams to reach deeper sections of the affected area safely,” the DENR said.
The teams, according to the DENR, are aided by a radar life detector that Apex Mining made available for the rescue operations to assist responders in identifying possible locations of individuals still trapped beneath the rubble.
Vowing to institute a “coordinated, science-based response” to the landfill tragedy, Environment Secretary Raphael Lotilla on Thursday announced the installation of a new director of the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) in Central Visayas, lawyer John Edward Ang.
The DENR said Ang brings with him “extensive experience in environmental regulation and enforcement,” having served in the legal division of the EMB central office and the Pollution Adjudication Board.
Lotilla’s action, the DENR said, is “part of efforts to reinforce operational capacity in the region.”
The EMB is the DENR arm for enforcing environmental regulations on landfill operations, among others.
Probe
“Secretary Lotilla directed the new EMB leadership to strengthen safety protocols and engineering controls across all waste and earth moving facilities in the region, with particular attention to the stability of waste mounds during periods of heavy rainfall,” the DENR said.
The EMB is also widely expected to lead a comprehensive investigation of the incident for which the landfill’s private operator, Prime Waste Solutions (PWS) Cebu, vowed to fully cooperate.
Based on the initial assessment of city officials and experts, the company said the incident was likely triggered by a combination of seismic activity and prolonged heavy rainfall, citing the magnitude 6.9 earthquake on Sept. 30 last year and its aftershocks, and extreme rainfall brought by Typhoon “Tino” (international name: Kalmaegi) in early November last year.
According to PWS Cebu, regular inspections of its landfill cells are conducted, noting that prior to the incident, the affected cell showed no visible signs of structural weakness such as cracks or irregular leachate outflows.
On Thursday, Akbayan Rep. Dadah Kiram Ismula called on the Cebu City government to hold PWS Cebu accountable for its supposed neglect that led to collapse of the garbage mound in Binaliw.
“This was a preventable tragedy. This was not an accident but clear negligence,” she said. “There needs to be concrete action for the families of the bereaved. More than just prayers and mourning, they need justice and guaranteed compensation from the company responsible.”
The Commission on Audit had previously flagged the private company for critical safety risks including leaks and overflow of waste that exceeded the site’s capacity, Ismula noted.
“The residents have been complaining across different city administrations and the DENR, but their concerns were shunned throughout the years,” Ismula said. —WITH A REPORT FROM KRIXIA SUBINGSUBING
