Senator Tulfo Demands Accountability: DENR Responsible for Cebu Landfill Collapse

MANILA, Philippines — The Environment Management Bureau (EMB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) should be held accountable for the deadly landfill collapse in Barangay Binaliw, Cebu City, Sen. Erwin Tulfo said yesterday, citing what he described as a failure of oversight that allowed a building to be constructed in a clearly dangerous area. “I cannot understand why the EMB of the DENR allowed the construction of a building at the foot of a mountain of garbage,” Tulfo said during a visit to the site on Jan. 18, as he met with families of the victims. The senator said the location had long posed a risk of collapse and that the tragedy could have been avoided had authorities acted properly. “If they had only done what they were supposed to do, these people would likely still be alive today,” he added. Tulfo, who chairs the Senate committee on social justice and rural development, said he would push for a Senate investigation to determine accountability and prevent similar incidents in the future. “This is not only about providing aid today, but about accountability and protecting the lives of workers in the future,” he said. During his visit, Tulfo also coordinated with government agencies to ensure assistance for affected families. He said he had contacted the Department of Social Welfare and Development to facilitate burial assistance, medical aid for the injured and livelihood support for families who lost income following the collapse. Based on Bureau of Fire Protection records, at least 36 people were killed and 18 others were injured in the landfill collapse, which occurred on Jan. 8.