Baguio faces contempt charge over Irisan dump

THE City of Baguio may face contempt charges for violation of a Supreme Court order over a writ ordered on the city’s Irisan dumpsite.

Atty. Noe Villanueva, said his office is now looking into allegations that the city government continuously dumps its garbage at the Irisan dumpsite despite of a “Writ of Kalikasan with temporary environmental protection order and resolution dated January 17, 2012” issued by the high court.

“We are now waiting for witnesses to give their testimonies and it war- rants, we will file contempt charges against the city,” he said.

Earlier, the Supreme Court said, “You . . . are hereby ordered, effective immediately, and until further orders from this court, to cease and desist from making use of the Irisan dumpsite either as a temporary holding/staging area or as a dumping or controlled area for any and all kinds of solid waste.”

The closure order was given five months after the retaining wall of the dumpsite collapsed killing six persons.

The case was filed before the Su- preme Court to prevent further damage to the environment by the city’s continued use of the dump, which has affected residents as well as water sources of the province.

According to Cosalan, this was the only option left for the province to assure the safety of

residents and its environment, adding, the city should have closed the dumpsite long time ago.

The writ of kalikasan is “a remedy available to a natural or juridical person, entity authorized by law, people’s organization, non-govern- mental organization, or any public interest group accredited by or registered with any government agency, on behalf of persons whose constitutional right to a balanced and healthful ecology is violated, or threatened with violation by an unlawful act or omission of a public official or employee, or private individual or entity, involving environmental damage of such magnitude as to prejudice the life, health or property of inhabitants in two or more cities or provinces.”