By Dolly Yasa
BACOLOD City – The division head of the distillery plant of Victorias Milling Co. denied allegations that the mill was emitting odorous fumes.
In a statement sent to Daily Guardian Friday, Sherwin Bacanto said: “We deny allegations of odor emanating from the distillery plant and this can be attested to by DA (Department of Agriculture) and DENR-EMB (Department of Environment and Natural Resources- Environmental Management Bureau) Region 6 inspectors who visited us recently.”
Bacanto added that “the visit is part of their continuing effort to assess and monitor improvements implemented by the company.”
“If we recall, we shut down the plant a couple of months ago to hasten the implementation of environmental measures that the company invested in, amounting to P200 million,” he added.
“These measures have already been introduced and operational and we assure the community that we will continue to abide by our commitment to protect our environment. In fact, the people in our community can attest to these improvements as well.”
Earlier, Task Force Kasanag national commander John Chiong said that he received a letter from the Office of the President through the Presidential Management Staff directing the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB)-Region 6 to act on the complaint against the distillery plant.
The complainants were Barangay Purisima councilors Brendan Bordon and Rico Prino who coursed their complaint to the TFK complaint desk.
They are requesting the closure of the VMC distillery plant for emitting intolerable odor and dumping of chemical waste into the Sicaba River, among other complaints.
The letter received by TFK was addressed to Atty. Ramar Niel Pascua, EMB-Region 6 regional director, from PMS Director for Public Concerns Donisia Gosiengfiao.
Chiong said the PMS letter addressed to Pascua was for “appropriate action in accordance with existing guidelines and applicable laws, rules, and regulations” on the complaint.
