USP, four men sued over trash in Compostela

CEBU, Philippines - The University of Southern Philippines and four persons are facing charges before the Cebu Provincial Prosecutor’s Office for “illegally” dumping and burning garbage in a property owned by a trading company.

Compostela Police Station lodged on Monday a complaint against the school for alleged violation of the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000. Also charged were the school’s driver, Sergio Taborada, his assistant Edmond Novabos, the trading company’s property caretaker Romeo Oros, and a certain Mike Mercado.

Taborada was arrested on July 16 and was turned over to Compostela Police Station while the three others remain at large.

The complaint stemmed from reports received by Cogon, Compostela barangay captain Joven Amor from his constituents regarding a truckload of garbage and waste materials being dumped and burned in one of the properties of Norkis Trading in Barangay Cogon.

Residents had been reportedly complaining of the “foul and toxic” smell reportedly emitted by the waste materials.

This prompted Amor to order his barangay tanods to verify the matter and apprehend the persons responsible. The act was later confirmed, hence to the suspects’ arrest.

Amor recalled that the truck reportedly owned by the USP was first apprehended by his tanods in May for dumping a truckload of trash in one of the properties of Norkis Trading.

He said Taborada, who was manning the truck that time, pleaded not to be arrested and promised not to do again the ‘illegal’ transporting and dumping and burning of waste materials.

“Out of humanitarian consideration, [I] decided to give him a chance, thus, I did not file charges against him. However, I warned him not to do the acts again; otherwise, there would be no more compassion,” Amor stated in his affidavit.

But around 10 a.m. of July 16, barangay tanod Alfonso Duran reported to Amor that the same USP-owned truck driven by Taborada was seen carrying a truckload of trash in Cogon.

Duran also executed an affidavit, confirming the illegalities done by Taborada. He said he caught Taborada and Novabos burning portion of the trash in the same property.

The two defended that they were just following instructions from the school and that the school had permission to dump its waste in the area.

The trash was mostly composed of plastic wrappers, food waste, diapers, papers, and plastic bottles.

USP could not be reached for comment as of press time. —/NSA (FREEMAN)