The Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) has filed criminal raps against five Taguig City residents for allegedly dumping hazardous waste near the Laguna de Bay.
Named respondents in the verified complaint filed by LLDA General Manager Jaime C. Medina before the Taguig City Prosecutors’ Office on December 7 are Matea Perez, Raul Roldan, Noel Dionisio, Constancia Cabanza and Paquito Delbo, lot owners with business operation in Barangay Hagonoy, Taguig City.
Based on the complaint, the LLDA chief said the five violated Section 2 of Republic Act (RA) 4850, which prohibits dumping of hazardous wastes within the Laguna de Bay.
Dump-and-fill, or reclamation to operate open dumps within the Laguna de Bay, is prohibited under RA 4850, the law that created the LLDA, whose primary mandate is to manage the development of the lake and protect the country’s biggest freshwater lake against environmental degradation.
With a surface area of over 90,000 hectares, the Laguna de Bay is the country’s largest freshwater lake. The lake has multiple uses, mainly for fisheries.
Fish cages and fish pens used to raise tilapia and bangus occupy around 13,000 hectares of the lake’s surface.
Water is also being drawn from Laguna de Bay by Maynilad and Manila Water to augment water coming from the Angat Dam in Bulacan.
“We must not allow these types of operations to continue, especially as they threaten the health of the environment and the well-being of communities around the lake. We must set the example and send a clear message that these illegal activities and operations will not be tolerated,” Medina said.