QUEZON CITY — In response to recent public statements made by Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla regarding irregularities in local government units (LGUs) garbage collection, the EcoWaste Coalition called on the Office of the Ombudsman and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to follow through on these statements with formal, rigorous investigations into city and municipal waste contracts across the country.
The Coalition emphasized that probing these reported irregularities and fully leveraging the recently re-established Environmental Ombudsman Program are essential steps to identify governance bottlenecks and ensure the genuine enforcement of the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 (R.A. 9003), rather than amending the law with costly Waste-to-Energy (WtE) incineration schemes.
In a recent radio program broadcast, Ombudsman Remulla candidly asserted that garbage contracts have turned into lucrative profit centers for local chief executives across the country. “Pinakamalaking negosyo ng lahat ng mayor sa Pilipinas, lahat walang exemption, basura,” Remulla emphasized.
He further castigated DENR for severe institutional shortcomings in waste oversight, land titling, and illegal reclamation, stressing an urgent need to curb impunity and strengthen government accountability.
While acknowledging that many LGUs and community partners are earnestly striving to implement zero-waste programs under challenging conditions, the EcoWaste Coalition stressed that official statements from the country’s independent constitutional watchdog regarding contract irregularities must be formally investigated to clear doubts, protect public funds, and address systemic enforcement barriers.
“We strongly urge the Office of the Ombudsman and DENR to follow through on these allegations with formal, rigorous investigations into LGU waste contracts across the country,” stated Aileen Lucero, national coordinator of the EcoWaste Coalition. “If there are irregularities in waste contracting, these must be exposed and corrected through due process. The focus should be on upholding accountability and supporting effective waste management, rather than letting governance gaps compromise the implementation of R.A. 9003.”
The Coalition welcomed Ombudsman Remulla’s initiative to re-establish the Environmental Ombudsman Program in January 2026. First created in 2013 under former Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales to monitor LGU compliance with environmental laws, the specialized team was rendered dormant for nearly seven years under the previous leadership due to claims that enforcing R.A. 9003 was “not economically viable”.
“We commend the re-establishment of the Environmental Ombudsman Program after nearly seven years of inactivity,” said the EcoWaste Coalition. “Now is the time to actively mobilize this specialized team to investigate compliance gaps, audit anomalous garbage disposal deals, and compel recalcitrant LGUs to adhere to R.A. 9003.”
The Coalition stressed that rather than allowing weak enforcement or commercial interests to undermine environmental laws, national and local government units must focus resources on supporting LGU compliance by expanding Materials Recovery Facilities (MRFs), institutionalizing circular economy practices, supporting informal waste workers, and enforcing waste segregation at source.
The EcoWaste Coalition reaffirmed its commitment to collaborating with local governments, waste workers, and communities to advance sustainable waste solutions. The group reiterated that addressing national waste challenges requires transparent governance, thorough oversight by regulatory bodies, and the steadfast, uncompromised enforcement of R.A. 9003.
