MISAMIS Oriental Representative Juliette Uy is asking the Department of Justice (DOJ) to issue a hold departure against Verde Soko officials.
In a press statement, Uy said the Korean officials have already been charged before a court in Cagayan de Oro City, thus a hold departure order should be issued.
She said some of the Filipino Verde Soko officials "have been cooperating in the re-exportation of their garbage, but their Korea officials have vanished."
"According to intelligence information, there may still be one or two of the Koreans in the country, but I fear others have fled already. Time is of the essence here. That hold departure order is badly needed. I also sense some problems may be developing in the court case, so I ask the new Prosecutor-General Benedicto Malcontento to take a close look at how the case is going in CDO," she added.
Governor Yevgeny Vincente Emano, meanwhile, supported the move of Uy but added the congresswoman must first investigate why the garbage was able to enter the municipality of Villanueva, before asking the DOJ a hold departure order.
"That's good, I will support her for that. First, she will have to investigate in the first place nganung nisulod sa lungsod sa Villanueva, then from there hold departure order suportahan namo siya, maayo na nga plano," he said.
"At least naa na siyay plano, kay sa una Boboy Sabal raman ang naa," he added.
Meanwhile, Uy also asked the Bureau of Customs on Tuesday, July 2, to open up the 880 cargo containers in other port terminals, which the Commission on Audit said "may pose risk or hazard to the Port" where they have been overstaying.
"Remember, the garbage shipments in Tagoloan Port were discovered after they overstayed at the port," Uy said, citing the latest 2018 audit report on Customs operations.
She said inter-agency teams with non-government organizations experts must be tasked to inspect these 880 containers, she added. (PJ Orias)