2 senators urge Senate probe on Canadian waste dumped in PH

Two senators are seeking a Senate inquiry into Canada’s reported offloading of its hazardous waste in the Philippines.

READ: Canadian trash ends up in President’s backyard

Sen. Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito, an opposition member, specifically wants the Senate to probe why the Bureau of Customs (BoC) and the Department of Foreign Affairs “slacked off in their duties to thoroughly inspect imported shipments.”

He also wants the Philippines to file a diplomatic protest to Canada.

“I just find it hard to believe that the BoC was hoodwinked by Chronic Inc. (the Canadian waste company) in its declaration that all fifty shipments simply contained materials for recycling. I am sure Chronic Inc. has a ‘backer’ behind all these transactions given their audacity on this issue,” Ejercito said in a statement on Friday.

“Surely the DFA also didn’t just heedlessly decide to neglect its duty by treating this transaction as purely ‘commercial’. I am convinced that someone intervened for Canada’s case, and this is what we will probe in the Senate hearings,” he added.

The senator also slammed the Aquino administration’s indecision in swiftly resolving this controversy, causing the shipments to rot and stink at the Port of Manila since 2013. He then urged for immediate resolution on this issue.

“I cannot simply sit back and watch other countries treat the Philippines as a garbage bin,” Ejercito said.

Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr., head of the Senate committee on local government, also sought a probe on Canada’s waste dumping in Tarlac province.

“We object to any kind of illegal dumping of wastes, be it local or foreign. But this seems to be one of the worst cases that we have heard about na parang lumalabas na nag-iismuggle tayo ng basura papasok sa Pilipinas. Saan ka naman nakarinig ng ganun?” he said in a statement Thursday.

“We also heard reports the dumping is being done in secret, during the night. We don’t even know the content of the trucks hauling the waste, whether it is ordinary household garbage, medical waste, or toxic waste. That’s something we have to look into,” he said.

The senator feared that with more stringent regulations on waste disposal in other countries, particularly in Europe, similar shipments could find their way into Philippine ports in the future.

“Waste disposal in Europe has become very expensive that it would be cheaper to ship the garbage anywhere where it would be accepted. But why should we accept garbage, and who is making money here, notwithstanding the health risks this may pose to our people?” Marcos asked.

“Before the situation gets worse, we should investigate this issue. If necessary, we must amend our laws and impose more stringent regulations so that we won’t be known all over the world as a garbage importer,” he added.

Aside from the dumping of Canadian waste, the senator said the Senate probe can also tackle the growing problem of waste disposal in the country.

“I think this will serve to highlight the problem that we have around the country on waste disposal. We have to address this issue now because it’s not only the big cities having this problem but even the small towns,” he said.

Marcos said there is a need to strictly enforce Republic Act 9003 known as “The Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000” and formulate a cohesive national strategy on waste disposal, one which would require the participation of every local government unit.

“We need to study this matter thoroughly and provide the necessary funding for such a program. We also need to train our local government officials on the best practices and system of garbage disposal, which will have the least impact on the environment,” he said.