Osmeña: City wrongly dragged in garbage deal

Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña said that the allegations against him over the entry of garbage from South Korea in Cebu last January are “grossly incorrect.”

In a position paper he submitted to Nueva Ecija Rep. Estrellita Suansing, chairperson of the committee on ecology in the House of Representatives, Osmeña said that the City Government has been unfairly and wrongly dragged into the controversy.

An inquiry about the controversial foreign trash started in the House yesterday.

Osmeña was invited to attend the inquiry but was not able to make it.

A certain Felix Lopez Jr. earlier wrote to President Rodrigo Duterte and said that Osmeña agreed to dump the garbage in the now closed Inayawan Sani- tary Landfill.

Osmeña believes that the authenticity of the letter should be traced and Lopez, if he exists, should be asked to appear before the House to shed light on the matter.

“Before this congressional inquiry would consider the contents of this letter, if ever it dignifies the contents thereof, we want to ask if there is a signed copy officially presented. The copy that Cebu City Hall obtained is unsigned and the letter has not cited documentary evidence to prove its allegations. Until I received an invitation from this committee, this humble local executive will refrain from dignifying the issue raised,” he said.

Other city officials were also invited to attend the House’s inquiry along with Mandaue City Mayor Luigi Quisumbing and former officer-in-charge of the Bureau of Customs-Cebu Atty. Rico Rey Francis Holganza, among many others.

Officials of the Environmental Management Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources 7 was also invited.

It was Deputy Speaker Gwendolyn Garcia (Cebu, 3rd District) who called for an investigation into the mixed garbage from South Korea, through House Resolution No. 1155.

About 5,000 gross tons of mixed garbage arrived at Pier 3 in Cebu City from Jeju Port in South Korea last January aboard MV Christina.

Some of the garbage was delivered to a private warehouse in Barangay Guizo, Mandaue. /