Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte has publicly blamed the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for the city's escalating garbage crisis, which has worsened following the closure of the sanitary landfill in Barangay New Carmen. This closure, effective May 22, was prompted by a trash slide on May 20 that resulted in two deaths and buried 15 homes. Duterte expressed concerns over the delays in garbage collection, which have persisted for two weeks, warning of potential public health risks. He stated that the threat to human life has been addressed through the evacuation of around 180 families and argued that the landfill could safely resume operations. The DENR has indicated that the closure was necessary for ongoing search and retrieval operations and geotechnical assessments. The city government has proposed a temporary disposal area within the landfill and committed to completing required safety measures by June 9. Duterte emphasized the need for practical solutions to manage the 750 tons of waste generated daily by the city's nearly two million residents.