BACOLOD City — The owner of a truck caught illegally dumping construction debris at the BREDCO reclamation area in this city has been fined and ordered to remove the waste following an investigation by city authorities.
The City Legal Office (CLO) and the Bacolod Environment and Natural Resources Office (BENRO) imposed penalties on the violator after a concerned citizen submitted a video of the incident directly to Greg Gasataya.
The footage, taken on May 7, showed four men unloading construction debris from an Isuzu Elf truck at the reclamation area.
Acting on the complaint, Mayor Gasataya ordered an investigation, prompting Bacolod City Police Office Station 2 to identify the truck owner with assistance from the Land Transportation Office.
The truck owner later met with officials from the CLO and BENRO, where he apologized and admitted instructing his workers to dispose of the debris in the area.
According to CLO spokesperson Vanessa Encabo, the act violated City Ordinance No. 596 and Republic Act No. 9003, also known as the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act.
Under the ordinance, dumping construction materials in unauthorized areas is prohibited and punishable by a P2,500 fine or five days of community service.
In addition to the fine, the violator was charged P270 based on the truck’s carrying capacity of 2.7 cubic meters and was directed to immediately remove the dumped waste.
Encabo said the city government remains firm in enforcing environmental laws and local ordinances.
“The City of Bacolod, under the administration of Mayor Greg, remains firm in ensuring that laws and city ordinances are properly enforced, especially those related to environmental protection,” she said.
She added that although the violator claimed he was unaware of the ordinance, ignorance of the law does not exempt anyone from penalties.
Mayor Gasataya expressed disappointment over the incident, noting that it occurred despite the city’s intensified environmental campaigns in all 61 barangays.
“Ginakasubo guid naton nga sa pihak sang aton mga ginahimo nga tikang, may ara guid ta mga kauturan nga daw wala sang pasunaid sa aton palibot kag sa tanan nga pumuluyo nga gakaapektuhan sini,” the mayor said.
At the same time, Gasataya commended the concerned citizen who reported the violation and encouraged the public to continue helping authorities monitor illegal dumping activities.
“We commend the courage and vigilance of residents who report these incidents. We encourage everyone not to be afraid to report illegal dumping. We will make sure that those responsible are held accountable,” he added.
Meanwhile, the CLO and BENRO said they would intensify their information campaign to educate residents, contractors and truck owners on proper waste disposal procedures and environmental regulations.
The city government also reminded the public to coordinate with BENRO and use only authorized disposal sites for construction and solid waste materials./PN
