Philippines clamps down on illegal e‑waste imports

The Philippine National Police‑Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP‑CIDG) arrested three Chinese nationals in Caloocan City for selling and storing scrap electronic motherboards without a permit from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). The suspects violated Republic Act No. 6969, which classifies e‑waste as hazardous, and related cybercrime legislation.

Separately, the Bureau of Customs in Subic Bay retained three containers suspected of carrying U.S. e‑waste on the vessel MV Tokyo Express, citing that the United States is not a party to the Basel Convention that governs hazardous waste movements. The cargo was placed under “retain on board” status and remained on the ship until it departed, while multiple agencies, including the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority and the DENR, reviewed the legality of the shipment.