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3 tons of used surgical gloves seized in Tanza, Cavite


Around 3 tons of used surgical gloves that police authorities believe were stored to be processed and re-sold were seized in Tanza, Cavite on Thursday.

According to Raffy Tima’s report on “24 Oras,” operatives of the Tanza Police and Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office (MENRO) personnel found sacks of used gloves in a housing unit in Wellington Subdivision in Tres Cruses.

“Meron kang makikita talaga na, sabi nga ni doktora, parang dugo tsaka mga betadine. So talagang makita mo siya na pinaggamitan na siya,” Menandro Dimaranan, of the Tanza MENRO, said.

(We saw, as the doctor said, blood and betadine. So we can see that they’re really used.)

Residents of the subdivision said they witnessed bulks of surgical gloves being carried from the housing unit. The residents later filed a complaint due to the bad odor.

“Kaya ‘yung mga kapitbahay, so sa takot, eh, nagsumbong sa authority kaagad para ma-check kung ano ba talaga ‘yung nangyari,” Police Lieutenant Colonel Rolando Baula, Tanza Police chief, said.

(That’s why the residents, in fear, filed a complaint to immediately check what was happening.)

Upon inspection, authorities found that the used gloves were not only stored in a single house.

“Bibiruin mo apat na unit na talagang makikita mong bulko. Sa ano ko nga, sa estimate ko, mga humigit-kumulang sa tatlong tonelada,” Dimaranan said.

(To think that you’ll see the bulk in 4 housings. So, in my estimate, around 3 tons.)

Authorities arrested Ernesto Latuan and his employee.

“Dinidispose lang po talaga nila,” Latuan said.

(They were just disposing the gloves.)

He later said that the surgical gloves were owned by his cousin, who pleaded with him to store them.

However, authorities suspect that the gloves are being cleaned and sold.

“Delikado talaga. Malay mo kung may COVID ‘yun tapos anong linis ginawa. ‘Yung ibang malinis na kasi, meron siyang mga plastic na nakalagay M, L, S, ‘yung mga ganoon. Ibig sabihin pinaghihiwalay-hiwalay nila,” Dimanaran said.

(It’s really dangerous. We don’t know if the previous owner has COVID and what kind of cleaning was done. Some of the gloves are already clean because there were plastics labeled M, L, S. This means that they were organizing it.)

Latuan and his employee were charged with the violation of Republic Act 6969 or the Toxic Substances and Hazardous and Nuclear Wastes Control Act of 1990 and RA 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000. -- Joahna Lei Casilao/BAP, GMA News

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