The Philippine Star

HK electronic waste to be shipped back Gary Lising, 78: Will he have the last laugh?

- By RICKY LO By EVELYN MACAIRAN

This was how Gary Lising defined some words:

Adultery: Two wrong people doing the right thing.

Mortician: One whose life is a grave undertakin­g.

Old age: The hardest thing for me to raise in my garden is my knees.

These, and more, are some of the many funny memories left behind by Gary Lising, who was found dead by his only son Bugs in his condo unit on Friday after Gary failed to answer calls. He was 78.

The sleepy-eyed comedian will be fondly remembered for his unique comedic style which is witty and cerebral, and that set him apart from others in

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The country will again mark another victory in the “battle” against imported garbage as a container van loaded with electronic waste will be sent back to Hong Kong tomorrow, according to the Bureau of Customs (BOC).

BOC-Mindanao Internatio­nal Container Terminal (MICT) sub-station collector John Simon yesterday said they would re-export the 40foot container van that was reportedly misdeclare­d to contain “assorted electronic accessorie­s.”

When inspected, officials found shredded gadgets and computers.

Electronic waste is considered one of the most dangerous types of garbage as it does not only affect the environmen­t, but also people’s health.

The scheduled return of the trash to Hong Kong will take place three days after the government returned 69 containers of trash to Canada last Friday.

Hong Kong will shoulder the re-exportatio­n cost.

“I got a written confirmati­on from the shipping line last Friday that they are ready to load the e-waste on June 3,” Simon said.

The SITC shipping line will send its vessel SITC Nagoya to pick up the garbage.

Simon expressed belief the vessel would be at the anchorage area on Sunday night.

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Another SITC ship, SITC Fujian, was used in transporti­ng the garbage from Hong Kong to the MICT in February.

In a matter of four months, the BOC would be able to send back the garbage to its country of origin.

Simon said their direct coordinati­on with their counterpar­ts in Hong Kong fast-track the re-export of garbage.

He said their counterpar­t in Hong Kong referred him to their Environmen­tal Protection Department, which coordinate­d with the Department of Environmen­t and Natural Resources (DENR).

“During the talk, they were able to validate the contents of the shipment. It was a good thing that when we investigat­ed the shipment, there were DENR officials present and they submitted the report to the HK government,” he said.

Simon said the Philippine­s and Hong Kong are signatorie­s to the Basel Convention, an internatio­nal treaty aimed to reduce the movement of hazardous waste between countries.

The treaty also prohibits the transfer of hazardous waste from developed countries to less developed countries.

The garbage arrived at the MICT in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental on board SITC Fujian.

The cargo was reportedly shipped by Hin Yuen Tech. Env. Limited and consigned to Crowd Wind Industrial Limited.

Simon said the consignee is no longer existing in its declared address, raising suspicion on the intention to dump the garbage here.

In July and August last year, 51 container vans filled with plastic trash from South Korea arrived at the MICT.

The garbage was sent back to South Korea in January.

Probe

Even after the 69 containers of trash were sent back to Canada, Sen. Richard Gordon wants the matter investigat­ed to identify the people behind the shipment.

Gordon said the public should know who were behind the shipment of trash from different countries, including Canada, Hong Kong and South Korea.

He said people in charge of the borders were lax, allowing contraband and trash to be shipped into the country.

The 69 containers of trash were loaded on MV Bavaria, which left the New Container Terminal in Subic on Friday.

Gordon said people behind those shipments of trash should be held liable to prevent them from doing the same illegal activities again.

 ??  ?? President Duterte disembarks from a plane at Villamor Air Base in Pasay City early yesterday after a successful working visit to Japan.
President Duterte disembarks from a plane at Villamor Air Base in Pasay City early yesterday after a successful working visit to Japan.
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