Osmeña Threatens to Dump Trash at SRP

Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña has threatened to dump the city’s garbage at the South Road Properties (SRP) if the environment department closes the Inayawan Sanitary Landfill in Barangay Inayawan, Cebu City.

Earlier, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) 7 told the city government either to fix or close the facility because of several violations.

“If we are challenged, if DENR will close our landfill, I will dump it in the SRP because I have a choice? As a local government official, I will exercise the public welfare clause. I will do what I think is necessary under the circumstances. Where will I put it? I cannot leave it in the streets. There are more people in the city’s streets than in SRP,” he said.

The DENR 7 earlier cited the city for 13 violations, including the problem on stench, on the reopening of the landfill and the agency threatened to close the dumpsite if it will not be addressed.

Osmeña met with the different stakeholders at the Cebu City Hall Sunday, including the locators at the SRP, representatives of DENR and City Hall department heads for a dialogue.

Osmeña explained to them the reason for the reopening of the landfill.

He said he did not want the city to dump its trash again at the private sanitary landfill in Consolacion town in northern Cebu because the city was spending Php 20 million per month on tipping fee alone.

He also said the transaction is “illegal” and “grossly anomalous” because it has no contract.

The previous administration said a purchase order is already considered a contract. (PNA)
RMA/EB/EDS