Resort waste dumping probed

CEBU CITY — Talisay City Mayor Gerald Anthony “Samsam” Gullas on Sunday warned that criminal, civil and administrative cases would be filed against individuals or establishments found responsible for the illegal dumping of waste in the city.

“There will be no exemptions, no special treatment, and no exceptions. The law applies equally to everyone,” Gullas said.

The warning came as a contractor and a truck driver face investigation over the alleged attempt to dump garbage in Sitio Tabok Sapa, Barangay Jaclupan.

Initial investigation showed that contractor Jovanny Coyoca allegedly engaged a person identified only as “Bimbo” to handle the waste disposal. Bimbo, in turn, allegedly hired Jerome Rivera to drive a wing van loaded with waste from Waterworld Resort in Mandaue City.

Investigators also identified a Jaclupan resident known as “Niko,” who allegedly coordinated with Coyoca to find another dumping site after the truck failed to unload the waste in Jaclupan.

In a related development, Waterworld Resort apologized to the Talisay City government and Gullas over the incident.

In a statement posted on Facebook, the resort said, “We are deeply sorry for the concern, inconvenience and disappointment this incident caused.”

Waterworld management said it never authorized or tolerated the unlawful disposal of waste, adding that the contractor was “newly engaged by the company, in good faith, for the collection, transportation and proper disposal of accumulated waste in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.”

The resort said it immediately launched an internal investigation and was cooperating fully with government authorities.

“Should it be established that the contractor acted outside the scope of its engagement or violated applicable laws, the company will pursue all appropriate legal and contractual remedies to ensure accountability,” it said.

Waterworld described the incident as isolated and assured the public that it would exercise greater diligence in selecting and monitoring service providers.