The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has formed an independent, multi-sectoral team to investigate the collapse of the Binaliw Sanitary Landfill in Cebu City, tapping experts from the academe and civil society to ensure transparency and accountability.
DENR Secretary Raphael Lotilla issued Special Order No. 2026-32 on January 26, 2026, creating a Composite Investigation and Fact-Finding Team in line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to ensure public safety and hold responsible parties accountable.
Thirty-six people were killed in the landslide, while 18 others were injured.
“This is in strict adherence to the directive of President Marcos to ensure safety, transparency, and accountability,” Lotilla said.
“As the President emphasized, the government is taking all necessary measures to ensure that responsible parties are held answerable for this tragedy.”
The team will be led by Assistant Secretary for Legal Affairs, Enforcement, and Human Resources Norlito A. Eneran.
To ensure impartiality and scientific rigor, Lotilla appointed external experts Aileen Lucero, national coordinator of the EcoWaste Coalition, and Engr. Janice Jamora, chair of the College of Engineering at the University of San Carlos–Talamban Campus.
Joining them are senior DENR technical officials Dr. Kevin Garas of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau; Engr. Regina Paula D. Eugenio of the Environmental Management Bureau’s Environmental Impact Assessment Division; and lawyer Rosette Ferrer of the Legal Affairs Service.
Under its mandate, the Composite Team will conduct a rapid engineering and environmental appraisal of the 17-hectare Prime Waste facility; monitor compliance with environmental and sanitary landfill standards; formulate a rehabilitation plan with a strict timetable; assess alternative waste disposal sites; and develop long-term strategies to strengthen solid waste management monitoring and enforcement.
The team will be supported by a technical secretariat composed of special investigators Marie Jasmine Molina and Jeanette Tismo, and technical assistant Jazmin Myles Young, who will gather documents, interview local government and DENR officials, and compile evidence for possible administrative, civil, or criminal cases.
“We are bringing in independent eyes to look at the data,” Lotilla said. “By involving experts from academia like the University of San Carlos and civil society leaders from EcoWaste Coalition, we are ensuring that our findings are not only credible but also rooted in the best available science.”
The formation of the Composite Team is part of Lotilla’s broader response to the Binaliw incident, which includes a nationwide review of solid waste facilities and the strengthening of the Environmental Management Bureau’s enforcement capabilities.
The team has been directed to submit its findings within five days after completing its investigation.
