By NITZ ARANCON Correspondent NATIONAL Solid Waste Management Commissioner Romeo Hidalgo has sought from the ombudsman a preventive suspension order against Mayor Oscar Moreno, Vice Mayor Caesar Ian Acenas, councilors, and the head of the City Local Environment Office (Clenro). Hidalgo sought the preventive suspension order as he accused the local officials of grave misconduct, gross neglect of duty, and conduct prejudicial to the interest of the public service over city hall’s failure to close down the city sanitary landfill, and for not providing a new one. Hidalgo has also asked that the local officials be held criminally liable in court. The accusations, brought to the attention of the the ombudsman, were based on the investigation report of the regional office of the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB). The EMB report showed that Moreno, Acenas, and other city hall officials violated Republic Act  9003. Documents secured by the Gold Star Daily showed that Hidalgo also held local legislators and Clenro head Edwin Dael answerable. Councilors also charged were Lourdes Darimbang, Zaldy Ocon, Roger Abaday, Annie Daba, Edna Dahino, Dante Pajo, Alden Bacal, Adrian Barba, Ramon Tabor, Teodulfo Lao Jr. Nadya Elipe, Leon Gan, Alexander Dacer, Enrico Salcedo, Dometilo Acenas, and President Elipe. The officials were given 30 days to submit their answer. The environmental ombudsman has asked all the officials to explain and comment on Hidalgo’s accusation in a two-page order signed by assistant environmental ombudsman  Raquel Rosario Cunanan Marayag in March 7. The officials were also ordered to submit a Safe Closure and Rehabilitation Plan (SCRP) for the city dump in Carmen in compliance to Administrative Order No. 9 series of 2016 of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). “The SCRP must propose to immediately close the open dump site maintained within the boundaries of your local government unit in accordance with the Section 37 of RA 9003. You must specify in the SCRP the task, actions and/or activities, including local legislative action/s, to be executed and completed within six months  of the implementation of the SCRP,” reads part of Marayag’s order. In a complaint made in Jan. 15, Hidalgo charged the city hall officials of conspiring to violate the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act. “The mayor and the... Clenro are the principal executive officials... and is such capacities, they are principally  liable... The vice mayor and Sangguniang members... constitute the local legislative assembly which has the mandate to establish policies and having control over the funds of the city, and collectively, and in their individual capacities, they conspired and/or collaborated with the mayor and the Clenro in committing  the aforementioned violations...” reads portions of Hidalgo’s complaint.