By LITO RULONA Correspondent COUNCILOR Zaldy Ocon on Tuesday said the city government is culpable for violating the Solid Waste Management Act (RA 9003) but added that he welcomed the case against local officials since this would prompt them to quickly act on the city dump problem. “Mas maayo nga gikasuhan kaming tanan para malihok ni tanan tungod kay apektado kitang tanan sa Cagayan de Oro kung ang basurahan dili mabalhin. Nanimaho na ang Barangay Carmen,” said Ocon who is now serving as acting vice mayor. Ocon said Mayor Oscar Moreno should order the transfer of the dumpsite in Upper Dagong in Carmen to another barangay. Under RA 9003, open dumpsites are no longer allowed. “Originally, we had this area in Barangay Pagatpat but according to the Environment Management Board, there is no report if this area is suitable for a sanitary landfill,” he said. On Monday, Councilor Lordan Suan said city hall should provide proper waste management services, adding that the city government has not implemented the segregation policy under RA 9003. “With the rapid industrialization and growth of Cagayan de Oro, there is a growing  concern about proper sanitation, particularly in the handling of the trash,” Suan said. He said a concerned group from the Liceo de Cagayan University-College of Law headed by Judge Jerlie Louisse Requerme has challenged city hall, through the city council, to strictly  implement the proper waste management segregation. Even if the city already has a waste segregation ordinance, Suan argued, is hardly ever implemented. “Our an ordinance requiring the mandatory segregation of wastes. But it is unfortunate because until this time, this ordinance has not been properly (enforced),” he said.