THE Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has issued show cause orders against 108 local chief executives for not having a 10-year solid waste management plan as mandated by the law, DILG Secretary Eduardo Año said Thursday, February 7.
Año said the DILG made such move as part of the government's effort to enforce environmental laws similar to what they did in Manila Bay and Boracay.
"We don't want another case of Manila Bay. These LGUs have, unfortunately, been accustomed to leniency. The Solid Waste Management Plan is a requirement of law, yet for many years they ignored it. Hence, we have no recourse but to issue show cause orders to them," Año said.
Without naming the local chief executives, the DILG said of the 108 localities that will receive the order, 31 are from Lanao del Sur, 18 from Sulu, 11 from Maguindanao, nine apiece for Basilan and Tawi-Tawi, five from Mimaropa, eight from Bicol, one from Western Visayas and four each from Cagayan Valley, Calabarzon, Central Visayas, and Eastern Visayas.
Año said the local chief executives will be given 10 days from receipt of the orders to explain why no administrative penalty shall be recommended against them relative to the failure of their LGU to submit the 10-Year Solid Waste Management Plan.
"If we are serious about protecting the environment, we really have to follow through with the implementation of these laws. Matagal nang nariyan ang mga batas ngunit kulang sa ngipin at implementasyon kaya patuloy tayong nagkakaron ng problema tulad ng Boracay at ng Manila Bay. The law is the law and we will implement it," he said.
DILG Assistant Secretary and Spokesperson Jonathan Malaya said they would release the name of the LGU officials after receiving their reply and validating their explanations and if they found them to be negligent in the performance of their functions.
According to Section 16 of Republic Act 9003, also known as the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, all provinces, cities or municipalities through their Local Solid Waste Management Boards shall prepare their respective 10-Year Solid Waste Management Plans consistent with the National Solid Waste Management Framework to be submitted to the National Solid Waste Management Commission. (VoxPop Philippines)