I commend President Duterte for his cleanup order (“Duterte slams local officials for ‘serious neglect’ of Boracay,” Inquirer.net, 2/12/18).
Aside from resort owners, local government officials, who issue the building permits, and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, which issues the environmental clearances, are to blame for this mess.
I appeal to the President to focus not only on the garbage in Boracay, Panglao, and Palawan resorts in the countryside but also those in Metro Manila — and hopefully, everywhere.
For example, the cities of Parañaque, Pasay, and Manila are making Manila Bay their garbage dumpsite and toilet.
I lived in Parañaque City for more than 30 years but decided to move to the north to give my family a better environment.
Parañaque is now full of stinking garbage and politics! Garbage is all over the streets and creeks, and these flow out to Manila Bay.
Countless vendors, buyers, and transients around Baclaran Church generate huge piles of garbage everyday.
I appeal to President Duterte to call the attention of Mayor
Edwin Olivarez and other Metro Manila mayors for the cleanup of cities.
Their local governments are violating all the existing environmental and health laws, the Local Government Code, and the supreme law — the Constitution.
MELANIE E. LAZO, melanielazo9@gmail.com