A House panel tasked with probing the artificial white sand in Manila Bay will summon former Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) secretary Roy Cimatu over his role in spearheading the project, now being blamed for exacerbating floods in the capital.
House public accounts committee chairperson Terry Ridon made the announcement on Saturday, warning that Cimatu has a lot of explaining to do as to why he allowed the dolomite brach project to proceed despite it not being part of the Manila Bay Sustainable Development Master Plan and concerns about its compliance with the Supreme Court’s continuing mandamus on the rehabilitation of Manila Bay.
“As DENR Secretary, he had ultimate responsibility for the Manila Bay rehabilitation, including the origination and implementation of the Manila Bay Dolomite Beach project,” Ridon argued.
The panel is set to kick off the investigation on 19 November.
Cimatu, who replaced the late secretary Gina Lopez after being bypassed by the Commission on Appointments, spearheaded the rehabilitation and clean-up drive of Boracay and Manila Bay.
Prior to his resignation due to health reasons in February 2022, Cimatu and officials involved in the dolomite beach met backlash from environmental groups, who argued that the synthetic white sand poses serious risks to humans, aquatic life, and the bay’s ecosystem.
The dolomite beach, built under the administration of former president Rodrigo Duterte at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, costs the government over P600 million. Critics claimed that the so-called restoration is merely cosmetic and has little to do with rehabilitation.
The crushed dolomite used for the so-called beautification of Manila Bay was sourced from Cebu, which is reeling from the catastrophic effects of Typhoon Tino.
The looming House probe aims to ascertain, among others, whether the funds used for the dolomite beach were not misspent for corruption.
The congressional inquiry was triggered by reports from the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, which blamed the dolomite beach project for causing massive floods along Taft Avenue.
In July, MMDA chair Romando Artes said the blockage of three major drainage outfalls—Faura, Remedios, and Estero San Antonio Abad—during the construction of the artificial beachfront, forcing rainwater to be rerouted through a sewerage treatment plant incapable of handling flood volumes during heavy rains.
Aside from the inquiry, the panel also vowed to determine whether officials involved in the project would be held administratively liable and accountable for possible graft.