MANILA — Malacañang on Monday condemned the dumping of garbage in front of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) office in Davao City, saying the act violated environmental laws and diverted attention from efforts to address safety concerns linked to a recent landfill incident.

Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said respect for the law and due process should be observed amid the controversy involving the temporary closure of the Davao City Sanitary Landfill.

“Ang tahasang pagpapakita ng kawalan ng galang sa batas, proseso at rule of law ang siyang dapat na ituring na ugaling basura,” Castro said.

“Ito ang dapat na itapon ng mga abusadong lider na imbes na sumunod sa proseso para sa kapakanan ng komunidad ay maninisi pa sa mahigpit na pagpapatupad ng mga panuntunan,” she added.

Castro said government rules are intended to protect public welfare, particularly following the May 20 trash slide at the landfill that buried several houses and resulted in two deaths.

The statement came after the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) criticized the dumping of garbage outside the DENR office in Davao City, which had been designated by the local government as a temporary waste collection site following the suspension of landfill operations.

The DENR earlier ordered the temporary closure of the New Carmen Sanitary Landfill to allow retrieval operations, geotechnical assessments, and the implementation of safety measures following the incident.

The EMB said the act of dumping waste in front of the DENR office violated the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 and posed health and environmental risks.

Castro said local government officials should focus on addressing waste management issues instead of blaming agencies enforcing environmental regulations.

She also described the dumping of garbage outside a government office as an irresponsible act that should not be emulated by other local government units.

The Palace reiterated that the suspension of landfill operations was based on technical findings and safety considerations.

“Para sa mga LGU, linisin ninyo ang inyong mga bakuran, magtrabaho kayo para sa inyong bayan. Huwag pamarisan ang mga maling gawain na ikapapahamak ng taumbayan,” Castro said. (PNA)