Escudero: Ship Back Wastes to Canada

(PNA)–“Ship these back”.

This was the suggestion of Senator Francis Escudero, chair of the senate committee on environment, as to the wastes from Canada contained in 103 container vans measuring 40 feet each, that were shipped to the Philippines by way of Ports of Manila through the Bureau of Customs.

“These (wastes ) were brought here by ships. And so, these should be sent back also by ships,” Escudero said in a press conference.

He said this was not the first time that happened in the Philippines. In 1999, wastes from Japan were also sent here but the country sent these back to Japan.

“The reason for this is simple. The Philippines is not the garbage dumpsite of Japan nor of Canada,” Escudero said.

The senator stressed that it is Philippines’ duty to take care of its own garbage and so must Canada, Japan and any other countries of the world.

Escudero said the senate committee on environment that he heads just conducted a hearing on the controversial wastes from Canada that were brought to a landfill in Capas, Tarlac for disposal but were never unloaded from the van due to stiff opposition from Tarlac officials and residents.

He said the senate committee has ordered an inter-agency body composed of the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Bureau of Customs among others to coordinate with the Canadian ambassador to arrange for the return of Canadian garbage to his country.

Senator Escudero said that under the Basel Convention on the control of transboundary movements of hazardous wastes and their disposal, of which the Philippines and Canada were among the signatories, it provides that when hazardous wastes from one country is brought to another country, it is the obligation of the former to return the wastes in its country.

Escudero said that the wastes from Canada were discovered accidentally when authorities were looking into the causes of the port congestion last year and found the wastes in one corner stocked in several container vans that were much odorous.

When customs’ men opened these vans, these were found out to be household wastes consigned to somebody in the Philippines.

Escudero said the Senate called on the consignee and intends to call other persons who may have a hand in facilitating the shipment of these wastes to the Philippines. (PNA) CTB/LVMICUA/RMA