Army finds Binmaley a tough foe
OVER GARBAGE, SALVAGE ZONE
BINMALEY-The Philippine Army found itself in a tougher war in Binmaley town, not over presence of insurgents but of the town’s wastes and salvage zone.
The local government has been dumping its garbage inside the 19.1 hectare Andres Malong Army Reservation in Barangay Caloocan Norte since 1995 despite attempts of the camp’s officers to stop the illegal activity.
Lt. Colonel Edgardo Batenga, Camp Administrator, had filed a letter of complaint with the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources (PENRO) dated May 20, 2015 complaining about the continuous dumping of garbage by LGU Binmaley inside the reservation, after earlier attempts were not heeded.
The reservation is presently home to the 70th Infantry Battalion of the 7th Infantry Division.
PENRO chief Leduina Co, acting on the complaint finally on May 29, 2015 wrote Mayor Simplicio Rosario directing the latter to immediately stop disposing the town’s solid wastes inside the camp.
Mr. Rosario, however, said PENRO’s letter was only received by mail on June 19.
The mayor said the town will comply with PENRO’s letter and will no longer pursue the understanding entered into verbally with camp officials to allow the town to continue deliver its wastes until August 31 this year.
“When I became mayor in 2004, I already inherited this problem,” said Rosario who served for one more term but failed to win a third and final term of office.
He, however, returned as mayor in 2013, and still the dumping of garbage in the military camp was still going on.
Capt. Ljubomir Bangoc, civil-military operations officer of the 70th Infantry Battalion of the 7th Infantry Division, earlier last week told the KBP Forum in Dagupan that the garbage being dumped by the LGU Binmaley in the reservation has endangered the health of army soldiers who draw their drinking water from a well inside the camp.
Bangoc said the latest dumping was on June 17 when a garbage truck of Binmaley was stopped before it could unload its garbage into the military reservation.
The garbage truck was abandoned by the driver who was later identified as Gerry de Vera, who reportedly ran away after he was chased by unarmed soldiers.
A potential legal battle now appears after Mr. Rosario decided not to pull out the abandoned truck on the advice of his lawyer to show that the Army men committed abuse when they seized it.
The mayor was also directed by Co to immediately implement the Safe Closure and Rehabilitation of the dumpsite otherwise stiff penalties will be accorded to him.
Rosario said the town will negotiate with the Urdaneta City Sanitary Landfill to accommodate their garbage estimated at from five to seven tons daily until it can put up its own controlled dumpsite in Barangay Tombor.
Meanwhile, Bangoc said the leachate of garbage may reach the sea and endanger the fish and the livelihood of hundreds of fishermen in the area.
When asked why the soldiers failed to stop the garbage trucks, Bangoc said the trucks have been bypassing the army control point and passed through the other village (Baybay Lopez) and through the shoreline.
According to Barangay Captain Dennis Ruiz of Caloocan Norte, Binmaley, another issue that caused that strained relations between the LGU and the camp is the alleged occupancy of the soldiers of the salvage zone of the beach area where they planted coconut.
Rosario, however, said the issue can be settled diplomatically on a government to government basis. (Leonardo Micua)
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