Sen. Francis Pangilinan on Thursday filed a resolution aiming to investigate the “wasteful and unnecessary” P389-million spent on the dolomite white sand beach along the portion of Manila Bay.
The government transported truckloads of crushed dolomite rocks and dumped them in Manila Bay in September. Several sectors and government officials questioned the project’s safety and timing.
Pangilinan said in his Senate Resolution No. 565 said the Senate should investigate the Manila Bay dolomite beach’s alleged overpricing and the possible violation of several environmental laws.
“An investigation in aid of legislation should therefore be conducted to address the concerns and issues raised regarding its sustainability, legality, and possible environmental and public health hazards, among others,” Pangilinan said.
The Senate should also “determine the possible liability of erring officials of the violation of laws,” Pangilinan said, noting that a Supreme Court decision in 2008 requires the government to ” to keep the waters of the Manila Bay clean and clear as humanly as possible.”
The Manila Bay White Sand Beach project “raises concerns of sustainability, legality, and possible environmental and public health hazards,” the opposition senator said.
Also read: Dolomite not cause of fish kill in Baseco – DENR
Pangilinan wants to investigate dolomite beach
“This project is wasteful and unnecessary,” he said.
“Lumampas na sa 380,000 ang COVID cases, marami nang dumaan na malalakas na bagyo, pero pinipilit pa rin na tama ito. Ang tanong: Kailangan ba talaga ito?” he said.
(The number of COVID cases in the country has breached the 380,000 mark, a lot of typhoons have barreled through the country, but some are still insisting that this was the right move. The question is: Do we really need this?)
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources remained firm on its stand that the dolomite white sand in Manila Bay was not washed out but was only covered by natural black sand.
DENR Undersecretary for Policy, Planning, and International Affairs Jonas Leones said that the dolomite sand is still intact and was only “washed” in by black sand.
Leones maintained that the washed in dolomite “will not be washed out to the sea because of the geoengineering intervention we put on the project.”