Mayor Baste Duterte blames DENR for garbage collection delays in Davao City

Mayor Sebastian "Baste" Duterte on Thursday blamed the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for ongoing delays in garbage collection operations following the closure of the New Carmen Sanitary Landfill.

In a statement dated June 4, Duterte said the landfill's closure was ordered by the DENR under the leadership of Juan Miguel Cuna.

The mayor warned that prolonged suspension of landfill operations could lead to public health and sanitation concerns as waste continues to accumulate in the city.

"The longer this situation continues, the greater the risk of a public health and sanitation problem, not because of the waste itself, but because of the bureaucratic inaptitude of DENR," Duterte said.

He noted that residents living around the landfill had already been evacuated, saying the threat to human life had been addressed and that corrective measures could be implemented while landfill operations continued.

Duterte criticized the DENR for suspending the facility's operations without providing a clear timeline for its reopening.

To address the waste collection backlog, the city government has identified additional collection points. Among them is an area in front of the DENR Region XI office, which Duterte said would allow the agency to "personally appreciate" the volume of garbage generated when a key public service is halted indefinitely.

The mayor also said the city government is complying with all regulatory requirements.

Duterte expressed hope that decisions affecting around 750 tons of waste generated daily and nearly two million Dabawenyos would be guided not only by regulations but also by practical considerations.

The DENR has yet to issue a response to Duterte's remarks.