Manila Court Sentences Business Owner to Up to 20 Years for Illegal Canadian Waste Import

In a case concerning environmental violations, a Manila court convicted a business owner of facilitating the import of hazardous waste from Canada. Prosecutors said ten container vans arrived at the Port of Manila in June 2013, carrying mixed, unsorted plastic materials that were misdeclared as compressed plastic scrap. The Department of Justice noted that the shipment entered without the required clearance from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

The Regional Trial Court sentenced the owner to a term ranging from 12 years and one day up to 20 years, along with a fine of one million pesos, and warned of subsidiary imprisonment if the fine remains unpaid. The ruling also cleared two customs brokers, as the evidence failed to meet the standard of proof required for conviction. This case underscores the legal risks of illegal waste trafficking and the enforcement role of Philippine courts.