Trash dumping outside DENR office in Davao ‘disrespect of law’

By Darryl John Esguerra, Philippine News Agency

TRASH PILE. Loads of garbage seen along Ponciano Street in Davao City on Wednesday (June 3, 2026). The accumulation of waste across the city follows the suspension of operations at the city’s sanitary landfill in Tugbok district, ordered by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, after a deadly trash slide last month. (PNA photo by Robinson Niñal Jr.)

MANILA – Malacañang on Monday condemned the dumping of garbage in front of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) office in Davao City, calling it a violation of environmental laws and a distraction from efforts to address public safety concerns arising from a recent landfill tragedy.

Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said respect for the law and due process should prevail amid the ongoing controversy surrounding 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 (The blatant disrespect for the law, process, and rule of law is what should be considered trash behavior),” Castro said in a Palace briefing.

“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 (This is what should be discarded by abusive leaders who instead of following the process for the benefit of the community but put the blame blame to the strict implementation of the rules instead),” she added.

She stressed that government regulations are meant to protect public welfare, particularly after the May 20 trash slide at the landfill that buried several houses and claimed two lives.

The Palace’s statement came after the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) criticized the dumping of garbage outside the DENR office in Davao City, an area designated by the city government as one of its temporary waste collection points following the suspension of landfill operations.

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

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

Castro said local government officials should focus on resolving waste management concerns rather than blaming agencies enforcing environmental regulations.

She 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 also reiterated that the DENR’s decision to suspend landfill operations was based on technical 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 (To our LGUs, clean up your yards, work for your people. Do not imitate the wrongdoings that will harm the people),” Castro said.

This article is republished from PNA.