Senator Erwin Tulfo has joined calls to hold the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) accountable for the deadly landfill collapse in Barangay Binaliw, Cebu City, which left 36 dead and 18 injured on January 8.
Tulfo, who visited victims and bereaved families on January 18, criticized the Environment Management Bureau (EMB) for allegedly failing to enforce strict oversight.
“I cannot understand why the EMB of the DENR allowed the construction of a building at the foot of a mountain of garbage,” he said.
The senator stressed that the site was clearly hazardous and the tragedy could have been avoided.
“If they had only done what they were supposed to do, these people would likely still be alive today,” he added.
As chairman of the Senate Committee on Social Justice and Rural Development, Tulfo vowed to push for a Senate probe to determine accountability and prevent similar incidents.
He also assured government aid for affected families, emphasizing, “This is not only about providing aid today, but about accountability and protecting the lives of workers in the future.”
Tulfo coordinated with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to provide burial assistance, medical support, and livelihood aid.
“Now is when the families of the victims need help the most. What happened is heartbreaking—they were simply working when tragedy struck,” he lamented.