NBI begins probe into Sokor garbage shipments

By NITZ ARANCON
Correspondent . 

THE National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has started its own investigation into the South Korean waste shipments to Misamis Oriental in an effort to make those responsible answer for what they did, an official of the Bureau of Customs said yesterday.

John Simon, customs collector at the Mindanao International Container Terminal  (MICT) in Tagoloan town, said the NBI is investigating officials and employees of the customs bureau and other government offices, and trying to find out how tons of wastes from South Korea were allowed to be brought in to the province.

The shipments were traced to the VNS Verde Soko Philippines Industrial Corp. that has a recycling facility at the Phividec Industrial Estate in Sta. Cruz, Tagoloan.

“Let’s just wait for the recommendation of the NBI,” Simon said.

Simon said the investigation would be prusued even after the wastes are shipped back to its port of origin in South Korea starting this weekend.

The customs bureau would spearhead what it called as “Goodbye Basura”ceremony at the MICT on Sunday morning, hours ahead of the scheduled arrival of a vessel that would bring the garbage back to South Korea.

Simon said the first shipment would cover 51 container vans of “household wastes” that have been piled up at the MICT since October last year.

He said the rest of the garbage that were brought to Sta. Cruz, Tagoloan, would be shipped back to South Korea by the end of January. These were brought in through a private port in Villanueva town in July last year.