Misamis Oriental provincial board member Gerardo Sabal (extreme left) confront executives of VNS Verde Soko Philippines Industrial Corp. with questions about their controversial shipment during a committee hearing at the Sanggunian Panlalawigan on Thursday (November 15 2018). In photo are Neil Alburo and Charles Chiu, president and chairman, respectively, of Verde Soko. (GSD File photo by Joey Nacalaban)
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By NITZ ARANCON
Correspondent .

PROVINCIAL board members did not inform Misamis Oriental Gov. Yevgeny Vincente Emano about the July tons of garbage from South Korea that found its way to Tagoloan town over their failure to start a committee investigation into the controversial shipment.

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Provincial board member Gerardo Sabal said this was due to the failure of VNS Verde Soko Philippines Industrial Corp. executives to attend provincial board committee hearings called on two occasions.

Sabal

Sangguniang Panlalawigan records show the firm was sent invitations to attend committee hearings in Aug. 14 and Sept. 6. Officials said twice, Verde Soko executives “snubbed” the hearings until Thursday afternoon after the Bureau of Customs (BOC) and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) started looking into the shipment from South Korea.

“Wala namo ma-inform si Gov (Emano) mahitungod sa maong basura kay wala paman lagi namo masugdi ang hearing niadtong panahona kay dili man lagi gatunga ang Verde Soko,” said Sabal, adding that there was nothing to report to the province’s chief executive.

Sabal said the provincial board did its part even after being “snubbed” twice by Verde Soko executives by creating a “composite team” tasked to inspect the garbage in sa Barangay Sta. Cruz in Tagoloan.

Sabal said the team includes representatives from the Sanggunian Panlalawigan, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Health (DOH), and the town government of Tagoloan.

The composite team, he said, was able to validate the information that garbage from South Korea really found its way into Verde Soko’s recycling plant. He said the team also found out the firm had no business permit from the local government.

“Nag-koordinar  dayon  ang among mga staff aron pagsuta kon kanus-a gyud makatunga sila (Verde Soko) kay nag-extend kami ug pasensiya niini, kay para mataga-an sila’g due process ug fair play, para dili sila maka-ingon nga wala gipamati ang ilang side,” he said.

Sabal expressed disappointment over the shipment.

“Ngano man nga didto pa man kamo magkuha og plastic sa South Korea nga na-a may atong daghang plastic dinhi sa Pilipinas,” Sabal said.

A representative of Verde Soko said the raw materials had to be shipped from South Korea because these have to be sheared first. “No one does that in the Philippines,” he said.

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