- BERT BAYORAN
San Enrique Mayor Jilson Tubillara said that he already issued an order to recover all the garbage dumped at a private property in Pulupandan, as soon as possible.
Tubillara explained that it was Novo Torres, the property owner, who requested the local government of San Enrique to dump its garbage as filling materials in his property located in Brgy. Palaka Sur, Pulupandan.
Tubillara said there was no monetary exchange between both parties.
“It is a controlled dumpsite. After dumping your garbage, you also cover it with soil. It is not an open dumpsite,” Tubillara pointed out.
Mayor Miguel Antonio Peña recently issued a cease-and-desist order against Torres, for operating an open dumpsite, with the garbage being dumped allegedly originating from a neighboring local government.
Tubillara said that the dumping of garbage in the private property is on a once-a-week basis.
He revealed that the Valladolid LGU also dumped its garbage at the private property in Pulupandan. He added that he and Valladolid Mayor Enrique Miravalles, as well as Mayor Peña, have already reached an agreement for them to recover all their wastes from the site.
He also said that San Enrique has already opened its segregation facilities, with composting machines donated by Senator Cynthia Villar, noting that most of the town’s wastes are compostable.
Tubillara also clarified that it was the Valladolid dump truck that was caught by personnel of Pulupandan dumping garbage in the property.
Peña, in his letter to Torres, said that operating an open dumpsite is in violation of Republic Act 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Program.
Due to the hazardous nature of the waste and garbage, Peña said he ordered the property owner to stop the operation of the illegal dumpsite, as per the CDO, pending investigations.
“Due to the hazardous nature of the waste/garbage, and for the safety of Pulupandan residents, you are prohibited to remove the same, and your property shall be closed to the public, while we explore the proper disposal methods, which shall be charged to you,” the mayor said in his letter to Torres, dated Sept. 2.
Tubillara denied that they have dumped hazardous garbage, such as medical waste, stressing that they have a septic tank for such purpose.
“It might belong to Valladolid because there is a hospital in the town,” Tubillara said./GB
