BOC: Is the Philippines Canada's dump site?

(Updated 8:16 p.m.) The Bureau of Customs on Thursday sued a company responsible for importing garbage from Canada.

 

Customs Commissioner John "Sunny" Sevilla said the firm – "Chronic Plastics" – declared itself as an importer of assorted plastic scrap, but when authorities inspected its 50-container shipment last December they were surprised to discover garbage that was still "umaalingasaw."

 

"Unang-una po, hindi po basurahan ang Pilipinas," said Sevilla at a press conference after filing the complaint before the Department of Justice.

 

"Ito po ay hindi lamang labag sa tariff and Customs code kung hindi sa ilang batas tungkol sa ating environment. Uulitin ko po, hinding-hindi tayo dapat pumayag at hinding-hindi po papayag ang Customs na maging basurahan dito," Sevilla added.

 

The container vans arrived in six batches from June to August 2013. The importer even declared a total value of P3.9 million for 19 of the containers, Sevilla said.

The waste shipment contained "heterogenous" plastic materials, including household garbage and used adult diapers, contrary to the importer's declaration that the shipment was homogenous or recyclable plastic scrap materials.

 

The Customs chief noted it was his first time to encounter such an "unusual" smuggling case. "Usually underdeclaration o misdeclaration pero ngayon ibang klase ng violation ang ating sinusugpo," he said.

 

Sevilla said the Customs Bureau was not in the best position to explain the importer's intentions for bringing in garbage into the Philippines from Canada.

 

Sevilla said his office has yet to determine if the source of the garbage could also be held liable under Philippine laws, adding that the Philippine government would be coordinating with the Canadian Embassy in Manila.

 

Meanwhile, Customs Deputy Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno of the BOC enforcement group vowed to ensure the shipments are returned to Canada with the help of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. – VS/BM, GMA News