SENATORS MARIA Lourdes Nancy S. Binay and Joseph Victor G. Ejercito yesterday urged the administration to fast-track actions that address the sewerage problem in Boracay Island, one of the country’s most popular tourist destinations. Ms. Binay, chair of the senate committee on tourism, wants the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and Aklan local officials to create citizens’ teams to monitor the cleaning operations. For his part, Mr. Ejercito wants the erring private establishments and local officials to be held accountable for ignoring environment laws, which led to the island’s untreated wastewater and sewage problem. “I believe that those private establishments that are found guilty of not following environmental laws and that have caused the deterioration of the situation in Boracay has to be charged as well as those government officials who approved the permits,” he said in an interview with reporters. “Let us give a chance for Boracay to breathe,” he added. — Camille A. Aguinaldo

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