Ched Rick Gatchalian

Article (news)

Rodriguez, Rizal landfill operator denies cover up; maintains only 3, not 50, buried in trash slide

Dennis Datu

ABS-CBN News

MANILA — The local government of Rodriguez, Rizal, and Green Leap Solid Waste Management Inc. said only three individuals — not 50 as claimed by urban poor group Kadamay — were buried when piles of garbage collapsed at the sanitary landfill.“Fifty, think that is too much — that is too much,” said Mayor Ronnie Evangelista.Domelito Cay, Officer-in-Charge for Operations of Green Leap Solid Waste Management Inc., echoed the mayor’s statement.“Yung ho nagsasabi na marami, hindi naman ho siguro  regular na  miyembro ng mga samahan kasi ho ang tinanong namin yun mga lider ng samahan  na yun lang talaga ho ang nawawala “ Cay said.ABS-CBN News attempted to interview the relatives of the victims, but they declined to give statements, allegedly out of fear of losing their jobs.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/regions/2026/2/23/1-dead-2-still-missing-in-rizal-landfill-collapse-mayor-1144">1 dead, 2 still missing in Rodriguez, Rizal landfill collapse—mayor</a></div>On Sunday evening, the body of a woman was recovered from the collapsed mound of garbage, while two others — a woman and a man — remain missing.The company operating the sanitary landfill also denied allegations that it attempted to cover up the trash slide incident, following claims that the incident was not immediately reported to authorities.Evangelista admitted that he officially received the report only on Saturday morning, although the trash slide occurred on Friday afternoon.“Natanggap ko ang report ay Saturday ng umaga,“ the mayor said.“May nagreport kasi sa 911 natin  sa command center,noong may nagreport saka lang natin vinalidate ang report,” he added.However, Green Leap Solid Waste Management Inc. insisted that the victims’ families had requested that the incident not be immediately reported to authorities, fearing it might affect their source of livelihood.“Kami naman ho sa kagustuhan ng mga pamilya  na huwag  munang ipaalam kasi ho  kapag naipaalam baka ho mawalan ng hanapbuhay yung  mga taong nakikinabang, kaya ayaw nilang ireport sa authorities,” Cay explained.Cay further stated that the company’s own rescue teams responded immediately to the incident.At present, no government rescue teams are assisting in the search and rescue operations, as the company claims it has sufficient capability to handle the situation on its own.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/regions/2026/2/22/3-persons-missing-in-landfill-collapse-says-rodriguez-rizal-lgu-2049">3 persons missing in landfill collapse, says Rodriguez, Rizal LGU</a></div><div> </div><div>&#x27;BURIED IN SILENCE?&#x27;</div>House Senior Deputy Minority Leader and Caloocan 2nd District Rep. Edgar Erice meanwhile wants the dumpsite&#x27;s operations be temporarily closed, as he pushes for a congressional investigation to the matter following the massive landslide.In his privilege speech at the lower chamber, Erice cited the reports that over 50 individuals were buried due to landfill collapse, a number that the town mayor deemed &quot;too much.&quot;But for the Caloocan lawmaker, some are still &quot;unaccounted&quot; for, while he also mentioned allegations that some residents and waste pickers are supposedly being intimidated or silenced from speaking publicly about the incident due to fears of losing their source of livelihood.“We cannot allow those who were buried in this tragedy to also be buried in silence,” Erice said. “Accountability must prevail, and the system that allowed this to happen must be reformed.”The landfill operator earlier explained that it was allegedly the victims’ families&#x27; choice to not immediately report the incident since they fear it might affect their jobs.Erice called on the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to provide emergency assistance and temporary employment to affected families. This as he also appealed to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to probe the incident, citing alleged intimidation against residents and possible conflicts of interest involving contractors operating the dumpsite and garbage hauling services across Metro Manila. Erice added that there are &quot;serious environmental, financial, and public safety concerns&quot; surrounding the long-operating dumpsite.He recalled that during the budget deliberations for the 2026 General Appropriations Act, he questioned the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) about the facility’s environmental impact and long-term sustainability.In a release, he stressed that billions of pesos are spent annually by local government units and the MMDA through “clean-all” contracts, allegedly granting compensation to contractors that are based on estimated daily waste volumes.<div> UNSAFE BULLDOZER OPS LIKELY CAUSED TRAHSLIDE, SAYS MAYOR </div>Cay added that the excessive combined weight of several bulldozers operating simultaneously in one area may have caused the trash slide that left one person dead and two others missing.He explained that four bulldozers were pushing large piles of garbage in the same location when the incident occurred.“Pinupush yung basura  kaya lang medyo nagkaroon ng error doon sa operator  nagkasabay-sabay yung apat kaya siguro  nabigatan nagcrack doon sa likod nila ,kaya pag-atas ng bulldozer doon sila nahulog” Cay said.He said each bulldozer weighs around 25 tons.“Siguro ang pagkakamali lang ay nagkasabay , nasobrahan ng bigat kasi ang bulldozer natin ay nasa 25 tons ang isa” he said.Evangelista stressed the operators may have engaged in unsafe practices.“Ang nakikita ko doon ay dapat hindi concentrated  sa isang lugar yung apat na bulldozer sa isang area, kasi just imagine the weight of a single bulldozer times four. Napakabigat noon kaya nagtriggered itong trash slide na ito,” he said.Three bulldozer operators who were caught in the collapse survived after escaping through the windows of their equipment.However, three scavengers were buried under an estimated six to eight meters of garbage.Evangelista has called on the DENR to conduct an investigation to ensure transparency.“Nananawagan kami sa DENR na magconduct ng investigation  para walang cover up ,atleast DENR na magconduct ,kung may lapses ang operator,&quot; he said.In 2015, three scavengers were also buried at the same sanitary landfill after a similar garbage mound collapse.According to the mayor, the local government is preparing assistance for families whose livelihoods have been affected.An estimated 3,000 residents depend on waste picking activities at the sanitary landfill for their livelihood.

The company operating the sanitary landfill also denied allegations that it attempted to cover up the trash slide incident, following claims that the incident was not immediately reported to authorities.

The company operating the sanitary landfill also denied allegations that it attempted to cover up the trash slide incident, following claims that the incident was not immediately reported to authorities.

Rodriguez, Rizal landfill operator denies cover up; says only 3 buried in trash slide

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Rodriguez, Rizal landfill operator denies cover up; says only 3 buried in trash slide

Dennis Datu,

Ched Rick Gatchalian,

ABS-CBN News

Published February 23, 2026 10:04 PM PHT

|

Updated February 24, 2026 03:21 PM PHT

Read More:

Rodriguez

Rizal

Landfill

Ronnie Evangelista

Green Leap Solid Waste Management Inc.

Edgar Erice

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