BACOLOD City – The City Legal Office (CLO) served the cease and desist order (CDO) to the owner of a lot property situated beside Sum-ag River in Barangay Sum-ag here on April 16.
Based on the order signed by Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez dated April 16, 2025, the property owner and all other persons acting on his behalf were ordered to immediately cease and desist from any and all dumping of waste in the specified area.
The mayor also directed them to remove and properly dispose of any waste materials the property owner may have dumped or caused to be dumped in the area.
The said CDO was issued after the City Mayor’s Office received an incident report from the Bacolod Environment and Natural Resources Office (BENRO) dated April 15, 2025 regarding the unauthorized dumping of garbage as filling materials beside the Sum-ag River.
The act constitutes a direct violation of Republic Act(RA) No. 9003, also known as the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.
The incident report stated that upon verification by the BENRO, there is no issued permit to the reported dumping operation.
“Such act not only endangers public health and safety, but also pollutes water resources, harms local biodiversity, and violates environmental laws,” the mayor cited.
BENRO head Ma. Fe Trespuentes said, based on their investigation, the backfill materials were allegedly sourced from the old dumping site of the city in Barangay Mandalagan.
She added that the owner is developing his property into a recreational site.
For his part, City Legal Officer Karol Joseph Chiu said they will have a conference with the property owner on Tuesday, April 22.
Following the issuance of CDO, the City Engineering Office conducted a technical survey to determine the volume of the garbage used as filling materials./PN
