Senator Santiago seeks probe of imported garbage

Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago is seeking an inquiry into the importation of waste materials from Canada which were misdeclared as scrap plastic materials.

Personnel of the Bureau of Customs intercepted some 50 containers loaded with tons of waste materials at the Port of Manila.

“It is imperative for the legislature to increase tariff and penalties, and create stricter guidelines in order to prevent this incident from recurring,” Santiago said in Resolution No. 509.

The junk could have posed “biohazard risks” to Filipinos, Customs officials said.

Both the Philippines and Canada are signatories to the Basel Convention, which provides that the exporting country must take back the waste materials if the receiving country refuses to accept them.

‘Heterogeneous’ plastic

The containers from the Ontario-based Chronic Inc. were declared to be containing scrap plastic materials for recycling. They arrived in six batches from June to August 2013 at the Manila International Container Port.

But during a spot check in late January, Customs police found that these contained used mixed and unsorted or “heterogeneous” plastic materials, including household garbage and used adult diapers, and not recyclable plastic scrap materials.

Santiago, chair of the foreign relations committee, said the Senate should look into the possibility of the country becoming a dumping ground of waste materials from other countries following the seizure of such cargo from Canada.

“There is a need for the Philippines to increase the penalty for Filipino entrepreneurs who improperly declare goods to the detriment of the Filipino people and the Philippine environment,” she added.

She said that Chronic Plastics which is based in Valenzuela City could be held liable for violation of the Tariff and Customs Code and Republic Act No. 6969.

Customs Commissioner John Sevilla has filed a complaint in the Department of Justice against the Filipino importer, Adelfa Eduardo of Chronic Plastics, and the company’s licensed customs brokers,  Leonora Flores and Sherjun Saldon.

The three were charged with a number of offenses, including violations of the Tariff and Customs Code, and the Toxic Substances and Hazardous and Nuclear Wastes Control Act of 1990 or RA 6969 which bans the importation of hazardous waste.

Pollution watchdog EcoWaste Coalition welcomed the prompt filing of illegal smuggling charges against those behind the importation. With a report by DJ Yap

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