DENR wants Davao Mayor Duterte to explain illegal waste dumping

MANILA, Philippines—The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) sought an explanation from Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte over alleged illegal waste dumping outside its Region XI office.

It also filed a complaint against the vehicle owner caught on CCTV unloading mixed waste at the site.

In a letter dated June 15, DENR Region XI Regional Executive Director Mercedes Dumagan asked Duterte to explain after DENR personnel caught individuals dumping mixed waste in front of the agency’s Lanang office.

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Some of those apprehended reportedly cited the mayor’s June 4 Facebook post, which described the area as a temporary waste collection point.

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The waste, which is believed to include commercial refuse, was found unsegregated, violating the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act.

“Our goal is to ensure that waste collection areas are properly designated and consistent with the city’s plan,” Dumagan said.

The DENR is likewise coordinating with the Philippine National Police to identify other trucks and vehicles seen in the area during the dumping incidents as part of its ongoing verification efforts.

In a separate action, Dumagan also filed a complaint regarding a Mitsubishi Xpander captured on CCTV unloading sacks of mixed waste at the DENR office.

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“We are addressing individual incidents as well, including the vehicle seen on video. These steps help ensure accountability while the city continues to manage the impacts of the landfill suspension,” Dumagan said.

The landfill has been temporarily closed since the May 20 trash slide that left fatalities.

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According to the DENR, the complaint and request for clarification are part of continuing efforts to maintain order in waste management as the city addresses the aftermath of the incident.

The DENR has given Duterte five days to submit his response, with the letter also furnished to senior DENR officials and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

Earlier, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the DILG will carry out a “thorough investigation” into Duterte’s earlier remark directing that uncollected garbage be dumped in front of the DENR office in the city, effectively designating the area as a garbage collection site.

READ: DILG to probe Baste Duterte over garbage dumping at DENR office

Castro also said Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla stated that the investigation would determine whether Duterte or Davao City officials committed negligence or breached environmental laws.

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Previously, Duterte attributed the city’s worsening garbage problem to the DENR, citing the closure of the sanitary landfill in Barangay New Carmen. /mcm