ENVIRONMENT Secretary Roy Cimatu yesterday sacked Manila Bay Coordinating Office Executive Director Jacob Meimban, who said last Monday that they “do not have control” over the people visiting the controversial dolomite beach.
Cimatu named DENR official Reuel Sorilla to replace Meimban.
A day after thousands of people ignoring health protocols amid the pandemic crowded each other out at the beach, Meimban admitted their staff struggled on how to limit the number of people trooping to the area.
Cimatu beat to the punch the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, which will meet today, Thursday, to determine if anyone should be held accountable for the overcrowding at the beach over the weekend.
Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr., in an interview with CNN Philippines, said the overcrowding at the beach is expected to be tackled in the IATF meeting, adding he intends to raise the issue of accountability amid the threat of the Manila local government to file charges against the DENR.
“We will correct and we will try to see who really has the responsibility for this,” Galvez said, adding he was very disappointed because overcrowding could compromise the vaccination program and the health protocols of the government.
Galvez said there were lapses when the beach was opened to the public and the DENR has already admitted it. He said the DENR did not expect thousands to visit the beach during the weekend from the usual 400 people a day.
Last Tuesday, the beach was closed to children aged 11 and below, with each guest allowed to stay for just five minutes.
The beach will also be closed every Friday for maintenance work and special lanes will also be put up for persons with disability, senior citizens, and pregnant women. It will also be closed from October 29 to November 3. — With Jocelyn Montemayor
