Malacañang announced on May 7 that Canada decided to shoulder all the expenses to bring back the trash they sent to the Philippines to their country.
According to Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo, President Rodrigo Duterte insisted that Canada should carry their trash back to their country because Filipinos are not garbage collectors.
“On the issue of garbage from Canada, the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources noted that the Canadian government is committed to shouldering all the expenses to ship out all the 69 waste containers,” Panelo said in a statement.
“The president is firm that we are not garbage collectors, thus he ordered that the Philippines will no longer accept any waste from any country,” he added.
The recent statement is one of the updates on the order of President Duterte to bring back the trash sent by Canada in 2013, saying that he’s even ready to go to war if Ottawa insists to keep their garbage in the Philippines.
“I will really return (the garbage)… Load the containers to a ship, and I will advise Canada that your garbage is on the way. Prepare a grand reception. Eat it if you want to,” Duterte said.
Since 2013, 69 garbage containers were shipped to the Philippines and despite several calls, Canada didn’t ship back their trash back.
While Canada said that they’re working towards a ‘timely resolution’ on shipping the waste back to them, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodory Locsin insisted that Ottawa should transfer the waste to their country before May 15.
“The President expects the garbage to be seaborne by May 15. That expectation will be met or else…” Locsin said in his tweet.
The President expects the garbage to be seaborne by May 15. That expectation will be met or else… https://t.co/9ZueAXIW1E
— Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) May 7, 2019