Charges readied vs mayors of 15 cities, municipalities

The mayors of 15 localities, two of them in Metro Manila, may soon find themselves facing lawsuits for their alleged failure to manage and dispose of garbage in accordance with the provisions of the Solid Waste Management Act.

The Philippine Bar Association (PBA) identified these localities as Caloocan City, Navotas, Cabanatuan City (Nueva Ecija), Obando and Meycauayan (Bulacan), City of San Fernando and Apalit (both in Pampanga), Balanga and Mariveles (Bataan), Tanza and Trece Martires (both in Cavite), San Mateo (Rizal), and San Pedro and Cabuyao (Laguna).

These cities and municipalities are in danger of joining the ranks of Malabon, San Juan and Parañaque City whose mayors are now facing criminal and administrative charges with the Office of the Ombudsman.

PBA president Linda Jimeno told The STAR that the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is expected to finish its re-evaluation of Caloocan City and Navotas’ compliance with the Solid Waste Management Act in a few days which will be the basis for the cases to be filed against their mayors.

The mayors of the 13 other localities will be notified in the next few weeks about the complaints that may be filed against them.

Jimeno said the 13 cities and municipalities were found to be collecting and disposing of their garbage without separating the biodegradables from the non-biodegradables, which the Solid Waste Management Act mandates.

Jimeno said local government units found guilty of violating the environmental law face a fine of P500,000, plus 10 percent of their income in the past year, while their mayors may be imprisoned for two years.

The PBA is working with other government agencies like the DENR and the National Solid Waste Commission in enforcing the Solid Waste Management Act.