MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte threatened to declare war against Canada with the latter still not retrieving the garbage shipment it sent to the Philippines nearly five years ago.
In a briefing in San Fernando, Pampanga on Tuesday evening, Duterte said he will give Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau until next week to take action on the trash shipment.
“‘Yung basura ng Canada, I want a boat prepared. I’ll give a warning to Canada maybe next week that they better pull that thing out or I will set sail doon sa Canada, ibuhos ko ‘yang basura nila doon,” Duterte said. “Eh di ano? Awayin natin ang Canada. We’ll declare war against them, kaya man natin sila. Isauli ko talaga ah tingnan mo. I cannot understand why they are making us a dumpsite.”
He added: “I will advise Canada that your garbage is on the way, prepare a grand reception, eat it if you want to. Kinakaya-kaya tayo di ako papayag ng ganun.”
A total of 103 containers of Canadian waste – household trash, plastic bottles and bags, newspapers, and used adult diapers – were shipped to Manila in batches from 2013 to 2014.
Chronic Plastics Inc., the consignee of the trash shipment, was accused of violating Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act and the 1995 Basel Convention on the Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes and Disposal.
Trudeau, who previously drew the ire of Duterte for his comments on the administration’s war on drugs, said during his visit to Manila two years ago that Ottawa was already working on the issue but the trash remains in the country until now.
“We also discussed the garbage issue which has been a long-standing irritant and I committed to him as I am happy to commit to you all now that Canada is very much engaged in finding a solution on that,” Trudeau said.
On Wednesday, the Canadian Embassy in Manila reiterated Ottawa’s commitment to resolve the issue.
“Our Prime Minister (Justin Trudeau) committed and has recommitted to resolving this issue, including taking the waste back to Canada. He said that in numerous occasions but we can only do that in partnership of the government of the Philippines,” Ambassador John Holmes said.
Holmes added that the issue is “complicated” and that “legal and other issues” need to be resolved first.
He also stressed that both sides continue to work toward a solution and have in fact established a working group that convened a meeting in Canada two months ago.
“The progress is good but the Philippine side agrees that it’s a complex issue that needs to be worked through very carefully,” Holmes said.
Asked what challenges they are facing, Holmes refused to provide details saying “it’s very complex.”
He also declined to put a timeline as to when the shipment could be sent back to its origin. (With a report from PNA/PN)
