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Saturday, October 23, 2004
Banned farm chemicals seized at Iloilo port
By Jennifer M. Depakakibo
MARITIME policemen seized a large volume of prohibited farm chemicals during a routine inspection at Port San Pedro in Iloilo City last Thursday.
Operatives of the 6th Regional Maritime Office, led by SPO1 Vicente Castro, confiscated 120 one-liter bottles of Thiodan pesticide and 80 kilos of neotogen sodium cyclamaten or the so-called "magic sugar" while these were being unloaded from m/v Cotabato Princess of Sulpicio Lines Inc.
The banned chemicals, with an estimated market value of P60,000, are reportedly owned by a Muslim resident of Baliwasan Tabuc, Zamboanga City.
The owner was referred to the Task Force Waterfront for temporary custody and for the filing of charges.
Supt. Cornelio Salinas, chief of the 6th Regional Maritime Office, warned the public especially farmers against using these kinds of chemicals as they could cause damage to the environment.
"Ang iniisip kasi nila ang ngayon lang, ang solusyon sa ngayon. Using it will have long-term effect to the environment," Salinas said.
Section 6 of Presidential Decree 1144 prohibits the use of such chemicals in farming.
Maritime police turned over the confiscated substances to the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (FPA) in Iloilo City.
According to FPA's implementing guidelines, "all pesticides are inherently toxic in nature, therefore, not all items are allowed for use by general public. Some of these substance are banned or restricted to avoid possible unsafe situations for the applications and to the general public and the environment."
These also include substances such as organotin, azinphos ethyl, methyl parathon, endosulfan, and monocrotophos.
(October 23, 2004 issue)
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