DILG will not file any case vs DENR execs over brazen protocol violation at Dolomite beach
By Chito Chavez
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said on Thursday, Oct. 28, that it will not file charges against the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) over the breach of health protocols issue at the Manila Baywalk Dolomite Beach.
In an interview in ANC, DILG Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya insisted that the DILG has no control over the project and the operation of the Dolomite beach.
“What we do is we support the policies enunciated by the DENR and yesterday (Oct. 27) Secretary (Roy) Cimatu already made categorical pronouncements as to how we are going to regulate for example the five minute to 15 minute rule, the maximum 3,000 persons to be allowed inside, the total prohibitions for minors 12 or 11 below and other restrictions so what we're going to do moving forward is just to support the DENR ensure that all of these regulations are followed,’’ Malaya said.
He admitted having spoken to DENR Undersecretary Benny Antiporda who noted that Manila mayor Isko Moreno told him that he was not really asking the government to file charges against the DENR.
The DILG spokesperson pointed out that Antiporda said that Manila supports the project and the locality just wanted the number of people inside the dolomite beach regulated.
In essence, Malaya said that the DENR is disputing the alleged statement of Moreno asking the government, in this case the DILG, to press charges against it.
When pressed why different standards are imposed for restaurants, Malaya maintained that charges will not necessarily be filed against these establishments for breach of health protocols and will just be closed.
“And in this case the DENR already closed the dolomite beach and in fact they are thinking of closing it for a few more weeks because there is going to be further improvement,’’ he added.
“So the message told to us by the DENR is that they are rethinking all of the strategies in closing the dolomite beach in the meantime. So we are treating the dolomite beach incident and a normal restaurant incident the same. We close that establishment until it complies with government rules and regulations,’’ Malaya insisted. (Chito A. Chavez)