The Department of Environment and Natural Resources, through the National Water Resources Board, has directed a soft drinks company to pay a fine of P11.8 million for operating six deep wells inside its Muntinlupa City plant without appropriate permit.
The agency issued the order last April 19, but its operatives, along with DENR enforcers and police, were only able to enter the company of Pepsi Cola Products Philippines Inc. to seal the illegal deep wells last June 11.
The fine was originally set at P11.8 million, but was raised to P11.58 million.
Archie Asuncion, lawyer-head of NWRB’s Litigation and Adjudication Unit, said the penalty imposed on Pepsi Cola was set at P1,000 per day per deep well source reckoned from Jan. 10, 2013 up to June 11.
Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu, through Benny Antiporda of the Solid Waste Management and Local Government Units Concerns, was ordered to raid the soft drinks plant in Muntinlupa City and seal the deep wells.
“The sealing was done after the raiding team disconnected the riser and submersible pumps of the deep wells from the power supply and computer box,” Antiporda said.
Citing a 2004 study commissioned by the NWRB, Antiporda said the groundwater in the area was already “critical,” and its extraction had caused land subsidence.