A dump over a dump?

Last week, we called the attention of acting Department and Environment Secretary Ramon Paje concerning reports that the supposed-to-be-closed Payatas dump is actually still operating illegally.

The concern is based on photographs provided to media by environmental groups which have sustained their watch over Payatas to find out whether or not Paje and Quezon City Mayor Herbert “Bistek” Bautista would make good on their promise to shut down this illegal dump which has operated against the law for the past 10 years.

Based on these pictures, we are afraid Paje and Bautista may not have lived up to their promise.

The loaded dump trucks entering the illegal dump, oblivious of the sign which says “closed,” show that the word of public officials to the people no longer carry much weight. The pictures of these trucks unloading their filth on the summit of the deadly Payatas mountain of garbage show that it is difficult to trust the words of said public officials.

We urged Paje to investigate the allegations based on these pictures. We pointed out that if the allegations prove true, his bosses should go ahead and allow him an early exit from the Environment Department. That department should be manned by people who have the ability— and the guts—to make sure that this country’s environmental laws are implemented and complied with.

Based on the same photos, it looks like Paje may have missed out on another important issue—that the new dump promised by Bautista is nothing more than a dump being built over the old one.

This is how things look based on what environmental groups have uncovered: right beside the old Payatas garbage mountain where dumping is still taking place, bulldozers are flattening a portion of the old dump and laying out what looks like a landfill lining.

That lining, the groups point out, is an attempt to make that portion of the old dump look like a “sanitary landfill”.

If the observation proves accurate, then the “new facility” Bautista promised to Paje would be nothing more than a new dump being built over an old one.

There are two issues here.

First, the environmental groups point out that a “sanitary landfill” is supposed to be built over solid ground, not over a flattened mound of garbage. Bautista may be putting one over Paje in this regard.

Second, that “new dump over an old dump” Bautista is apparently constructing is dangerously close to the original Payatas garbage mountain, as evidenced by the photographs.

The environment activists point out that once this is filled up, nothing would stop Bautista from redirecting the garbage trucks to the old, illegal dump and have them unload their filth on top of that perilous heap—which they appear to still be doing right now.

The concern has serious basis: by the looks of it, the “new dump over an old dump” looks like it could take in garbage for only a few years. And since it sits right beside the mother dump, “crossing over” would not be a major problem. If the thesis is accurate

Bautista would have put two over Paje. That is, if Paje is not really aware of all these smelly things that may be taking place under his very nose, pun intended.

We do not know if Paje would still care to investigate these issues.

That is the problem with appointing chair-warmers. The view is that Paje is simply warming up the Environment Secretary’s seat until a losing senatorial bet gets a permanent appointment to the post–after which Paje would concentrate on the new post given to him by President Benigno Aquino III as the government’s representative to the UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines.

If the reports regarding the Payatas mess are true, Paje may have no business staying at his new posting and his appointment should be withdrawn.

It would be unthinkable to have somebody holding a key appointment to represent the Philippines in a UN agency to have allowed the continuing and blatant violation of this country’s laws which hold dumps illegal.

We hope the next DENR chief would make sure that unlike Paje, he would faithfully implement these laws.

After all, we now have a President whose battle-cry is the “matuwid na daan”.

We are afraid the next DENR chief would find out that Paje’s version of the “matuwid na daan” was the one which led garbage haulers to the summit of an illegal dump which was supposed to have been closed years ago.

In which case, it may be good for the next DENR Secretary to return to the “matuwid na daan.” If we see him doing so, we promise not to focus too much on the three pending case he has with the Ombudsman.

We just hope that the next DENR Secretary will have the political will to make sure that environmental laws in this country are obeyed even if those who are affected by his decision threaten to distract him with the issue of his graft cases.

Whatever you say about the next DENR Secretary, we know that he would not countenance being toyed around with by seasoned politicians.

Last week, we called the attention of acting Department and Environment Secretary Ramon Paje concerning reports that the supposed-to-be-closed Payatas dump is actually still operating illegally.
A dump over a dump?
Last week, we called the attention of acting Department and Environment Secretary Ramon Paje concerning reports that the supposed-to-be-closed Payatas dump is actually still operating illegally.

The concern is based on photographs provided to media by environmental groups which have sustained their watch over Payatas to find out whether or not Paje and Quezon City Mayor Herbert “Bistek” Bautista would make good on their promise to shut down this illegal dump which has operated against the law for the past 10 years.

Based on these pictures, we are afraid Paje and Bautista may not have lived up to their promise.

The loaded dump trucks entering the illegal dump, oblivious of the sign which says “closed,” show that the word of public officials to the people no longer carry much weight. The pictures of these trucks unloading their filth on the summit of the deadly Payatas mountain of garbage show that it is difficult to trust the words of said public officials.

We urged Paje to investigate the allegations based on these pictures. We pointed out that if the allegations prove true, his bosses should go ahead and allow him an early exit from the Environment Department. That department should be manned by people who have the ability— and the guts—to make sure that this country’s environmental laws are implemented and complied with.

Based on the same photos, it looks like Paje may have missed out on another important issue—that the new dump promised by Bautista is nothing more than a dump being built over the old one.

This is how things look based on what environmental groups have uncovered: right beside the old Payatas garbage mountain where dumping is still taking place, bulldozers are flattening a portion of the old dump and laying out what looks like a landfill lining.

That lining, the groups point out, is an attempt to make that portion of the old dump look like a “sanitary landfill”.

If the observation proves accurate, then the “new facility” Bautista promised to Paje would be nothing more than a new dump being built over an old one.

There are two issues here.

First, the environmental groups point out that a “sanitary landfill” is supposed to be built over solid ground, not over a flattened mound of garbage. Bautista may be putting one over Paje in this regard.

Second, that “new dump over an old dump” Bautista is apparently constructing is dangerously close to the original Payatas garbage mountain, as evidenced by the photographs.

The environment activists point out that once this is filled up, nothing would stop Bautista from redirecting the garbage trucks to the old, illegal dump and have them unload their filth on top of that perilous heap—which they appear to still be doing right now.

The concern has serious basis: by the looks of it, the “new dump over an old dump” looks like it could take in garbage for only a few years. And since it sits right beside the mother dump, “crossing over” would not be a major problem. If the thesis is accurate

Bautista would have put two over Paje. That is, if Paje is not really aware of all these smelly things that may be taking place under his very nose, pun intended.

We do not know if Paje would still care to investigate these issues.

That is the problem with appointing chair-warmers. The view is that Paje is simply warming up the Environment Secretary’s seat until a losing senatorial bet gets a permanent appointment to the post–after which Paje would concentrate on the new post given to him by President Benigno Aquino III as the government’s representative to the UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines.

If the reports regarding the Payatas mess are true, Paje may have no business staying at his new posting and his appointment should be withdrawn.

It would be unthinkable to have somebody holding a key appointment to represent the Philippines in a UN agency to have allowed the continuing and blatant violation of this country’s laws which hold dumps illegal.

We hope the next DENR chief would make sure that unlike Paje, he would faithfully implement these laws.

After all, we now have a President whose battle-cry is the “matuwid na daan”.

We are afraid the next DENR chief would find out that Paje’s version of the “matuwid na daan” was the one which led garbage haulers to the summit of an illegal dump which was supposed to have been closed years ago.

In which case, it may be good for the next DENR Secretary to return to the “matuwid na daan.” If we see him doing so, we promise not to focus too much on the three pending case he has with the Ombudsman.

We just hope that the next DENR Secretary will have the political will to make sure that environmental laws in this country are obeyed even if those who are affected by his decision threaten to distract him with the issue of his graft cases.

Whatever you say about the next DENR Secretary, we know that he would not countenance being toyed around with by seasoned politicians

The concern is based on photographs provided to media by environmental groups which have sustained their watch over Payatas to find out whether or not Paje and Quezon City Mayor Herbert “Bistek” Bautista would make good on their promise to shut down this illegal dump which has operated against the law for the past 10 years.

Based on these pictures, we are afraid Paje and Bautista may not have lived up to their promise.

The loaded dump trucks entering the illegal dump, oblivious of the sign which says “closed,” show that the word of public officials to the people no longer carry much weight. The pictures of these trucks unloading their filth on the summit of the deadly Payatas mountain of garbage show that it is difficult to trust the words of said public officials.

We urged Paje to investigate the allegations based on these pictures. We pointed out that if the allegations prove true, his bosses should go ahead and allow him an early exit from the Environment Department. That department should be manned by people who have the ability— and the guts—to make sure that this country’s environmental laws are implemented and complied with.

Based on the same photos, it looks like Paje may have missed out on another important issue—that the new dump promised by Bautista is nothing more than a dump being built over the old one.

This is how things look based on what environmental groups have uncovered: right beside the old Payatas garbage mountain where dumping is still taking place, bulldozers are flattening a portion of the old dump and laying out what looks like a landfill lining.

That lining, the groups point out, is an attempt to make that portion of the old dump look like a “sanitary landfill”.

If the observation proves accurate, then the “new facility” Bautista promised to Paje would be nothing more than a new dump being built over an old one.

There are two issues here.

First, the environmental groups point out that a “sanitary landfill” is supposed to be built over solid ground, not over a flattened mound of garbage. Bautista may be putting one over Paje in this regard.

Second, that “new dump over an old dump” Bautista is apparently constructing is dangerously close to the original Payatas garbage mountain, as evidenced by the photographs.

The environment activists point out that once this is filled up, nothing would stop Bautista from redirecting the garbage trucks to the old, illegal dump and have them unload their filth on top of that perilous heap—which they appear to still be doing right now.

The concern has serious basis: by the looks of it, the “new dump over an old dump” looks like it could take in garbage for only a few years. And since it sits right beside the mother dump, “crossing over” would not be a major problem. If the thesis is accurate

Bautista would have put two over Paje. That is, if Paje is not really aware of all these smelly things that may be taking place under his very nose, pun intended.

We do not know if Paje would still care to investigate these issues.

That is the problem with appointing chair-warmers. The view is that Paje is simply warming up the Environment Secretary’s seat until a losing senatorial bet gets a permanent appointment to the post–after which Paje would concentrate on the new post given to him by President Benigno Aquino III as the government’s representative to the UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines.

If the reports regarding the Payatas mess are true, Paje may have no business staying at his new posting and his appointment should be withdrawn.

It would be unthinkable to have somebody holding a key appointment to represent the Philippines in a UN agency to have allowed the continuing and blatant violation of this country’s laws which hold dumps illegal.

We hope the next DENR chief would make sure that unlike Paje, he would faithfully implement these laws.

After all, we now have a President whose battle-cry is the “matuwid na daan”.

We are afraid the next DENR chief would find out that Paje’s version of the “matuwid na daan” was the one which led garbage haulers to the summit of an illegal dump which was supposed to have been closed years ago.

In which case, it may be good for the next DENR Secretary to return to the “matuwid na daan.” If we see him doing so, we promise not to focus too much on the three pending case he has with the Ombudsman.

We just hope that the next DENR Secretary will have the political will to make sure that environmental laws in this country are obeyed even if those who are affected by his decision threaten to distract him with the issue of his graft cases.

Whatever you say about the next DENR Secretary, we know that he would not countenance being toyed around with by seasoned politicians.

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