ADVERTISEMENT
Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider DENR creates 'independent eyes' team to probe Binaliw landfill collapse

DENR creates 'independent eyes' team to probe Binaliw landfill collapse

Published Jan 29, 2026 01:54 pm
(BFP PHOTO)
(BFP PHOTO)
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Raphael Lotilla has ordered an investigation into the collapse of the Binaliw Sanitary Landfill in Cebu City that left 36 people dead early this month.
Under Special Order No. 2026-32 issued by Lotilla, a Composite Team, which he dubbed “independent eyes,” will take the lead in the conduct of investigation.
In a statement on Thursday, Jan. 29, he said “the government is taking all necessary measures to ensure that responsible parties are held answerable for this tragedy.”
"We are bringing in independent eyes to look at the data. By involving experts from academia like the University of San Carlos and civil society leaders from EcoWaste Coalition, we are ensuring that our findings are not only credible but also rooted in the best available science,” said Lotilla.
Dated Jan. 26, the order institutionalizes the involvement of non-government organizations and academic institutions in the investigation to ensure transparency, technical rigor, and freedom from bias, the agency said.
Per the environment department, the Composite Team is led by DENR Assistant Secretary for Legal Affairs, Enforcement, and Human Resources Norlito A. Eneran.
The DENR chief said he appointed prominent external experts as official members of the team to ensure impartiality and scientific accuracy:
• Aileen Lucero, National Coordinator of the EcoWaste Coalition, representing civil society and environmental advocacy groups.
• Engr. Janice Jamora, Chair of the College of Engineering at the University of San Carlos (USC) - Talamban Campus, providing local engineering expertise and academic oversight.
As such, DENR’s top technical experts will join the team to handle the legal and geological aspects of the investigation:
• Dr. Kevin Garas, Senior Geologist from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) Lands Geological Survey Division.
• Engr. Regina Paula D. Eugenio, Chief of the Review and Evaluation Section, Environmental Impact Assessment Division of the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB).
• Atty. Rosette Ferrer, Chief of the Legal Research and Opinion Division, Legal Affairs Service (LAS).
Investigation scope, mandate
The Team is mandated under the directive to carry out a comprehensive five-point technical review to determine liability and ensure public safety:
1. Rapid Engineering and Environmental Appraisal of the 17-hectare Prime Waste facility;
2. Compliance Monitoring regarding the facility's Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) and Sanitary Landfill (SLF) standards;
3. Formulation of a Rehabilitation Plan with a strict timetable, covering emergency stabilization, site remediation, and environmental recovery;
4. Assessment of Alternative Sites for waste disposal to alleviate the immediate crisis; and
5. Development of Long-term Strategies on solid waste management monitoring and enforcement.
The agency said Special Investigators Marie Jasmine Molina and Jeanette Tismo, together with Technical Assistant Jazmin Myles Young, form the team’s technical secretariat responsible for gathering documents, interviewing LGU and DENR officials, and compiling evidence for possible administrative, civil, or criminal cases.
The DENR said the Composite Team has been directed to submit their findings within five days upon the termination of their investigation. 
Reports said the death toll from the Binaliw landfill collapse on Jan. 8 has climbed to 36, with 18 others injured.

Related Tags

BINALIW LANDFILL 36 DEATHS INDEPENDENT EYES INVESTIGATION DENR LOTILLA EMB ENERAN CEBU
ADVERTISEMENT
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1561_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1562_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1563_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}

{{ articles_filter_1564_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.mb-article-details { position: relative; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview, .mb-article-details .article-body-summary{ font-size: 17px; line-height: 30px; font-family: "Libre Caslon Text", serif; color: #000; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview iframe , .mb-article-details .article-body-summary iframe{ width: 100%; margin: auto; } .read-more-background { background: linear-gradient(180deg, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0) 13.75%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0.8) 30.79%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000) 72.5%); position: absolute; height: 200px; width: 100%; bottom: 0; display: flex; justify-content: center; align-items: center; padding: 0; } .read-more-background a{ color: #000; } .read-more-btn { padding: 17px 45px; font-family: Inter; font-weight: 700; font-size: 18px; line-height: 16px; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; border: 1px solid black; background-color: white; } .hidden { display: none; }
function initializeAllSwipers() { // Get all hidden inputs with cms_article_id document.querySelectorAll('[id^="cms_article_id_"]').forEach(function (input) { const cmsArticleId = input.value; const articleSelector = '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .body_images'; const swiperElement = document.querySelector(articleSelector); if (swiperElement && !swiperElement.classList.contains('swiper-initialized')) { new Swiper(articleSelector, { loop: true, pagination: false, navigation: { nextEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-next', prevEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-prev', }, }); } }); } setTimeout(initializeAllSwipers, 3000); const intersectionObserver = new IntersectionObserver( (entries) => { entries.forEach((entry) => { if (entry.isIntersecting) { const newUrl = entry.target.getAttribute("data-url"); if (newUrl) { history.pushState(null, null, newUrl); let article = entry.target; // Extract metadata const author = article.querySelector('.author-section').textContent.replace('By', '').trim(); const section = article.querySelector('.section-info ').textContent.replace(' ', ' '); const title = article.querySelector('.article-title h1').textContent; // Parse URL for Chartbeat path format const parsedUrl = new URL(newUrl, window.location.origin); const cleanUrl = parsedUrl.host + parsedUrl.pathname; // Update Chartbeat configuration if (typeof window._sf_async_config !== 'undefined') { window._sf_async_config.path = cleanUrl; window._sf_async_config.sections = section; window._sf_async_config.authors = author; } // Track virtual page view with Chartbeat if (typeof pSUPERFLY !== 'undefined' && typeof pSUPERFLY.virtualPage === 'function') { try { pSUPERFLY.virtualPage({ path: cleanUrl, title: title, sections: section, authors: author }); } catch (error) { console.error('ping error', error); } } // Optional: Update document title if (title && title !== document.title) { document.title = title; } } } }); }, { threshold: 0.1 } ); function showArticleBody(button) { const article = button.closest("article"); const summary = article.querySelector(".article-body-summary"); const body = article.querySelector(".article-body-preview"); const readMoreSection = article.querySelector(".read-more-background"); // Hide summary and read-more section summary.style.display = "none"; readMoreSection.style.display = "none"; // Show the full article body body.classList.remove("hidden"); } document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", () => { let loadCount = 0; // Track how many times articles are loaded const offset = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]; // Offset values const currentUrl = window.location.pathname.substring(1); let isLoading = false; // Prevent multiple calls if (!currentUrl) { console.log("Current URL is invalid."); return; } const sentinel = document.getElementById("load-more-sentinel"); if (!sentinel) { console.log("Sentinel element not found."); return; } function isSentinelVisible() { const rect = sentinel.getBoundingClientRect(); return ( rect.top < window.innerHeight && rect.bottom >= 0 ); } function onScroll() { if (isLoading) return; if (isSentinelVisible()) { if (loadCount >= offset.length) { console.log("Maximum load attempts reached."); window.removeEventListener("scroll", onScroll); return; } isLoading = true; const currentOffset = offset[loadCount]; window.loadMoreItems().then(() => { let article = document.querySelector('#widget_1690 > div:nth-last-of-type(2) article'); intersectionObserver.observe(article) loadCount++; }).catch(error => { console.error("Error loading more items:", error); }).finally(() => { isLoading = false; }); } } window.addEventListener("scroll", onScroll); });
Join Our Newsletters

Sign up by email to receive news.

© 2025 Manila Bulletin The Nation's Leading Newspaper. All Rights Reserved.