Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Agri chief defends use of endosulfan (10:17 a.m.)
MANILA -- Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap said the use of "highly toxic" pesticide endosulfan found inside the sunken ferry off Sibuyan Island is not yet banned in the country.
However, he said that based on the records of the Fertilizer and Pesticides Authority (FPA), the use of endosulfan in the country is only allowed until December this year.
He also said the pesticide is being used under "strict guidelines' and only by "accredited corporate institutional account."
"The point is 20 countries all over the world also use endosulfan. In our country, it is being used with strict guidelines. We don't allow the farmers to use it. You have to be like an accredited corporate institutional account," Yap said.
About 10 metric tons of endosulfan was found stashed inside the mv Princess of the Stars, which sank off Romblon waters last June 21. As of Tuesday, another batch of bodies recovered in Sibuyan Island will be brought to Cebu City for forensic examination and public viewing. (JMR/Sunnex) |
