THE seemingly harmless idea of a cluster facility for the garbage of 10 contiguous towns to be hosted by the municipality of Alburquerque has escalated into a combustible issue with stakeholders resorting to death threats. Bearing the brunt of possible death was Gov. Erico Aumentado who brokered for the hosting of Alburquerque as garbage capital for the municipalities of Lila, Loay, Loboc, Baclayon, Corella, Sikatuna, Cortes, Balilihan, Dauis and Panglao. Tagbilaran City was included in the cluster, but Mayor Dan Neri Lim opted to go on its own and decided to set up its own garbage facility. Although it came in the form of an anonymous text message, the recipient governor was not taking the threat lightly. The governor has all the reasons to take the threat seriously. Threats to the life of the governor may be part of the territory but having survived an assassination attempt in 2004, was enough justification to be cautious.

Gov. Aumentado is at the forefront of the garbage dump project after he lobbied for funding support from the Philippine Tourism Authority as part of Bohol 's tourism program. He was able to secure P75 million from the PTA to realize the Alburquerque project. But all is not well in the Alburquerque front of the project. Majority of town residents protested the host role of the town dramatizing their complaints through screaming banners and headlines of local newspapers. In fact, one of the reasons why the son of former mayor Efren Tungol lost in last May's elections on the basis of the landfill issue. Feeling the heat of the people's protest, Gov. Aumentado called for the suspension of its implementation pending completion of a massive information dissemination campaign. The contractor, the Laguna-based Cervantes Construction, almost started the civil works of the project when Aumentado filed the request for suspension with PTA.

Aumentado was informed during the recent Governor's Report, that a text message was relayed to one of the mediamen attending the weekly forum. The eerie message reads: “Good morning governor, imo man kaha pa-stop ang landfill sa Albur, why man nagsige pa man ang work sa landfill? Kung dili ka ka-stop sa landfill project, hulata ang imo nga kamatayon”. (You have vowed to make a move to stop the works on the landfill project in Albur. Why is it that construction works on the landfill project continued. If you cannot stop the landfill project, wait for your death.) Apparently getting used to death threats, the governor dismissed this one as a misled grudge. He explained that while he had filed a request with the office of General Manager and Chief Executive Officer Robert Dean Barbers of the PTA, seeking the suspension of the civil works on the project, it would be up to the PTA to take action because this office is the one implementing the project. “Ang atong gihangyo sa PTA mao ang pagsuspendir sa pagpatrabaho sa sanitary landfill kay ang PTA man ang nagpundo sa maong proyekto ug ila kana sa PTA. Dili man kita maoy tag-iya sa project, ang PTA man (Our request to PTA was to suspend the works on the sanitary landfill because it is the PTA that funds the project and it is their project. It is not our project. It is PTA's), Aumentado said.

The governor welcomed the threat, though, as part of his job as public servant. “Apil ni sa risgo sa atong pagpangatungdanan….Maong kinsa nang tawo nga nanghulga kanako moingon lang ako kaniya nga pasensya lang apan ikaw manubag kung unsa'y mahitabo kanako. Hinuon nia may imong cellphone [number] tawgon taka human ning akong programa aron istoryahan ni nato og tarong (This is part of the risk of my job. That's why, to whoever made the threat, I say, sorry but you shall be liable whatever happens to me. Anyway, we have your cellphone number. I will call you after this program to talk things over),” Aumentado added. Implying a solicitation of appreciation on his effort, the governor explained that he was just trying to strike a compromise deal where all stakeholders are given fair treatment. “Ako naningkamot nga makatabang nga kahatagan og katin-awan ang atong mga katawhan. Mao nga nihangyo ako sa PTA nga maoy tag-iya sa proyekto- -Albur Cluster Sanitary Landfill, nga hatagan og kahigayonan ang taga eco-governance, taga-BEMO ug taga-HNU nga mohimo sa education and information campaign aron kahatagan og hipno nga katin-awan ang atong mga kaigsoonan dinha sa lungsod sa Albur (I am trying my best to help let the people understand. That's why I asked PTA, who implements the project- - Albur Cluster Sanitary Landfill, to give ample time for eco-governance people, BEMO and HNU to conduct education and information campaign to let the people of Albur understand the project,” Aumentado explained. Aumentado filed earlier this month the request for the suspension of the works on the landfill project after residents of upland and landlocked Dangay and nearby barangays called for it citing that the project is part to blame the turbidity of their drinking water, considering that the water supply piped to their houses came from the host barangay. Dangay is an upland Albur barangay chosen as site of the huge garbage dump. In his letter to Barbers, Aumentado sought for the suspension pending the completion of the information, education and communication (IEC) campaign to enlighten the people on the advantages of the project.