MANILA – The Office of the Ombudsman will file criminal and administrative complaints against Cavite and Rizal local officials after they snubbed invitations for a hearing on illegal dumpsite operations in their areas.

According to Deputy Ombudsman Gerard Mosquera, complaints will be filed against officials who failed to show up in clarificatory hearings on August 15-16, which were part of the office's fact-finding investigation on local governments which have allegedly been allowing open dumpsite operations.

Local officials from Silang, Kawit, and General Trias in Cavite attended the hearings and presented rehabilitation plans for areas where open dumpsites are located.

Ombudsman now looking at possibility of filing raps vs. former & current Cavite, Rizal municipal officials over illegal dumpsite operations.

— Carolyn Bonquin (@carolyn_bonquin) August 16, 2016

No response was received from officials of Trece Martires and Ternate in Cavite, and Tanay, Rizal.

"For those na hindi man lang nirespeto ang proseso at hindi man lang sumagot, we are proceeding with cases," Mosquera, who is Environmental Ombudsman, said on the no-shows.

These areas in Cavite and Rizal were among 50 municipalities and cities being investigated by the Ombudsman and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for violating Republic Act 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act.

Around 700 government officials nationwide, including former and incumbent mayors, vice mayors, city or municipal councilors and municipal or city environmental and natural resources officers, are being investigated for allegedly allowing the operations of open dumpsites.

Among possible administrative charges to be filed against the officials are gross neglect, grave misconduct and conduct prejudicial to public interest. The maximum sanction for these is dismissal and perpetual disqualification from public office.

Criminal complaints for violation of the Local Government Code and graft also await officials found liable.

Mosquera said the Ombudsman will not allow local officials’ usual defense of limited budget and lack of ordinance in their failure to implement proper garbage disposal required by law.

"They are the ones expected [and] mandated by law...the time for accountability has come," Mosquera said. "Iyong commitment to close the open dumpsites is continuing so we have to include those who were newly elected. If they continue the violations, they can also be charged."

Under the law, waste from households and commercial establishments should be segregated to allow recycling of non-biodegradable materials, as well as the use of biodegradable wastes as fertilizers, leaving only 20 to 40 percent of residual waste in a sanitary landfill regulated by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

During the Ombudsman's inspections, several open dumpsites were found close to bodies of water, or had settlers within the facility. These pose risks to nearby communities and can possibly pollute groundwater.

"There's a barangay in one municipality, the solid wastes are spilling over the nearby barangay," Mosquera said.

Lawyer Myla Teona Teologio, the focal person of the Environmental Ombudsman’s team, said the 50 municipalities and cities are just the first batch monitored for illegal garbage disposal activities.

She said they have yet to investigate Metro Manila areas for possible waste-disposal violations.