The political bickering among elected public officials of the municipality of Dauin, in Oriental Negros is being felt in the barangays, and has prejudiced the establishment of sanitary landfill, a government facility mandated by law.

A forum on the establishment of the sanitary landfill in Barangay Tunga-tunga, Dauin held Thursday at Bahura beach resort in Dauin, 15 kilometers south of Dumaguete City, resulted in verbal tussles among the mayor, members of the Sangguniang Bayan, and officers of the Environment and Natural Resources division of the province.

At least eight mayors who organized themselves into one cluster from the municipalities of Siaton to San Jose said they believe that all is going well as planned.

They said they could not understand why there was a sudden change of heart.

Vice Mayor Frances Araula and majority of the members of the municipal council said they were at first very supportive of the proposal, but as meetings were going on, they had not been called or notified of any developments by the mayor.

They said they did not know what was going on until they were asked to authorize the mayor to enter into a memorandum of agreement. Araula's camp also questioned the conduct of the information and education campaign, which they said, did not follow correct procedures.

Mayor Rodrigo Alanano said he believes the action of the municipal council is tainted with political color due to their plans of putting up a candidate against him in the next election.

Alanano said he was doubly surprised by the passage of a barangay resolution dated April 17, 2006 vehemently objecting to the establishment of the sanitary landfill in Tunga-tunga, Dauin, when he, himself had attended the information and education campaign in the barangay.

As a result of the failed MOA signing, Arnaiz told the other members of the cluster to look for alternative sites. Valencia Mayor Rodolfo Gonzalez Jr. had offered 200 hectares of land in Dobdob, Valencia, while another area is offered near the hinterland boundary in Sibulan.

But, the governor stressed, he will only assist in terms of conducting a feasibility study, but if the facility is established in Dauin, he said he has committed the funding requirement.

The cost per one-year hectare of a landfill is about P15 million. During the forum, provisions of the law were thoroughly discussed by a member of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines-Negros Oriental chapter.

Manuel Arbon said the Republic Act 9003 is clear, that officials of local government units will face administrative sanctions for failure to establish a sanitary landfill.

In fact, in Cebu, several elected officials were charged for non-compliance with a national law, he added.*

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