Landfill stays open
Despite the order of Environment Secretary Gina Lopez, the Inayawan landfill will not be closing immediately.
This is because Department of Environment and Natural Resources officials will have to wait until next week for the decision of the Court of Appeals over the legal action petitioned by Cebu City Councilor Joel Garganera who seeks the closure of the facility.
"Our stand, insofar as DENR is concerned, is for closure. But considering there is a progressing court proceeding, as per legal advice, we will have to wait for it," said Dr. Isabelo Montejo, the appointed DENR Undersecretary for Field Operations in Luzon and Visayas.
He told reporters yesterday that the city government is still allowed to dispose of its garbage in the sanitary landfill as no order has been issued yet by the court or by the regional office.
Lopez, who visited Cebu City on Thursday, said she wants the landfill closed "as soon as possible" after she learned it was near the sea after making an unscheduled inspection.
Montejo, former DENR-7 regional director, said concerned stakeholders agreed in a meeting yesterday to wait for the ruling before the CA will present the result of the legal proceeding on Monday.
Whatever the decision of the CA will be, Montejo said DENR will abide by it.
If the facility's closure pushes through, Montejo recommended the rehabilitation of the facility and the establishment of Materials Recovery Facility in all barangays. He added these facilities will help in separating and preparing recyclable materials to reduce the waste that will be dumped in the landfill. Such a facility was recently opened in Barangay Apas.
Montejo also attended a meeting yesterday between officials and representatives of the Cebu City government and the Environmental Management Bureau-7, which is an attached bureau of the DENR.
EMB-7 Regional Director William Cuñado shared the same view with Montejo.
"We respect the comment of the Secretary but this coming Monday, there will be a court decision that we also have to consider so that our next move will be consistent to legal actions," he said.
He said EMB-7 is amenable to the closure of the landfill but provided that it will be rehabilitated eventually.
If the CA rules in favor of the respondents, including Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña, for the continuous operation of the facility, he said the regional office will respect the decision. However, if the facility is closed, he said the city was advised to look for another landfill.
Of the 11 landfills in Central Visayas, EMB-7 identified five operational facilities, two of which are private-owned and located in Consolacion town, Cebu. The others are in Talisay City, Asturias, and Balamban.
The Cebu City government will have to identify to which service provider they want to contract with.
However, former city councilor Maria Nida Cabrera said she will recommend to the mayor to look for another landfill aside from the private landfill in Consolacion town that the city used to use.
Cabrera, now one of the mayor's consultants tasked to oversee the landfill's rehabilitation, said the city government will have to prepare for any eventuality. She said the city will adopt the closure plan she drafted a few years back when she was still councilor.
The next big thing to do, she added, is the rehabilitation that may run for six to 10 years and need P600 million for its implementation.
Osmeña said the landfill will still be operating until the CA issues an order for its closure.
"I have to follow the law, if the court says close it and then why not?" he told reporters yesterday.
"My position is that I want to remind everyone that it is the interest of people of Cebu City that is paramount to me and the welfare of the people of Cebu City," he added.
Osmeña said he is confused right now as to how to confront the current situation of the landfill.
"I cannot do things so fast, that's why I said I really don't want to discuss into details, I myself is very confused on how we can adjust in this kind of situation. She said it can be fixed, she said at reasonable cause, I was so very happy and then she said 'Oh, it's besides the sea pala, it cannot be because the water will go up 6 to 8 meters'," he said.
Osmeña could not yet say where the city will dispose of its garbage if the closure order will be issued. However, he said bidding will happen and the city will choose whoever offers the lowest price.
He again criticized former mayor Michael Rama, saying Rama had no plan of rehabilitating the landfill considering that it was ordered close on January 15, 2015.
"But kinahanglan sad to point out that Mike Rama did not close the landfill, he just stopped using it. It's just sort of abandoning and he made no plans to rehabilitate it and he has been mayor for six years. So it's all drawn upon me, I have to do all of these things overnight," he said.
Osmeña assured the public that the city government is working on rehabilitating the landfill. He said he will discuss the details in court this coming Monday.
Earlier, the CA decided to ask the city for a win-win solution after Garganera filed a petition before the CA to grant the issuance of Temporary Environmental Protection Order to stop the landfill from operating.
"I don't like to talk to Garganera because he lies and I would rather talk to him in court so that he cannot twist what I say and he has many friends in media and you know that," he said.
Sought for his comment on this matter, Garganera said, "Master man siya anang twist. Kahibaw man mo kini akong gi-file before the court, it's the evidence gathered by EMB, DENR, DOH? When he said na I twisted it, so twist pud diay ni ilang findings? I don't know, probably he doesn't want to solve the problem kay ang problema siya man."
Garganera said he does not want to anticipate that the CA will grant the TEPO on Monday, but said he will respect whatever the justices decide.