Tarlac bans Canada wastes at landfill

TARLAC CITY, Philippines – The Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Tarlac yesterday passed a resolution demanding the cancellation of a contract between the Bureau of Customs (BOC) and the Metro Clark Waste Management Corp. (MCWMC) on the dumping of Canada wastes at the Capas landfill.

“The dumping of garbage from Canada at the Kalangitan sanitary landfill is in violation of the authority granted by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan in Resolution 023-2002 and Resolution 108-2003, to which the Clark Development Corp. as owner of the landfill agreed,” Resolution 056-2015 stated.

“There is an urgent need to demand concerned parties to stop the dumping of Canada wastes in the landfill,” it added.

Twenty-nine shipping containers of Canada wastes have been dumped at the Capas landfill.

Tarlac Vice Gov. Enrique  Cojuangco Jr. said copies of the resolution were sent to the BOC, MCWMC, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of the Interior and Local Government and Senate local government committee.

Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte urged President Aquino to file a diplomatic protest against the government of Canada for dumping its wastes in the country.

“In a community of nations, there’s always that rule of good neighbor policy…if that is the spirit of the league of nations…you do not do something which is harmful that could result in discomfort to your neighbors,” he said.

Duterte also asked the Office of the Ombudsman to file charges against BOC officials who allowed the entry of Canadian wastes into the country. – Ric Sapnu, Edith Regalado