BAGUIO CITY – The task force created by Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan to investigate the alleged controversial operation of the Camp 7 batching plant will complete its findings and recommendations within September for the action of city officials on the alleged questionable operation of the environmentally critical business.
City Environment and Parks Management officer Cordelia C. Lacsamana admitted the task force made a preliminary report during its first wave of inspections but they stopped their monitoring activities when lawyers of the Camp 7 batching plant owner wrote them regarding the pending cases relative to the said issue.
However, she added that the task force will continue their monitoring after the celebration of the Baguio Charter Day when their personnel will install the monitoring equipment to test the various aspects of the batching plant’s operation before they will finalize the findings and recommendations that will be submitted to the local chief executive for appropriate action.
Mayor Domogan underscored it is clear in the decision of the Court of Appeals (CA) that Ordinance No. 43, series of 2007 was constitutional from the start and that the appellate court even dissolved the temporary restraining order and the writ of preliminary injunction issued by the lower court against the implementation of the ordinance.
Further, the CA ruled that the local government has to prove to the lower court that the operation of the Camp 7 batching plant poses a threat to the health of the people and the environment and that its operation is a nuisance in the residential area.
The local chief executive explained it is clear in the CA decision that the city needs to substantiate the complaints of residents that the operation of the Camp 7 batching plant is hazardous to their health and the environment and that it is also a nuisance in the area, thus, the concerned offices to conduct the monitoring to prove the veracity of the complaints.
“We do not understand why the owner of the batching plant refuses to comply with his previous commitment to transfer the operation of the facility outside the city. It seems that he is just trying to house the case that he filed to delay and even not fulfil his commitment,” Domogan stressed.
The members of the task force include the City Environment and Parks Management officer, the City Engineer, the City Building official, the City Health officer and the City Legal officer.
He claimed city officials continue to receive verbal complaints from residents living in the surrounding communities on the alleged nuisance that the operation of the batching plant causes to them, thus, they even threatened to file the appropriate charges against concerned officials for their failure to implement the appropriate regulations to close the batching plant the soonest thus the task force must finalize its report as soon as possible to guide the local government to take action.
By Dexter A. See