Duterte threatens war with Canada over trash

President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday told Canada to take back its trash sent to the Philippines six years ago or risk “war” with the Philippines.

Duterte said he wanted five dump trucks of Canada’s trash to be dumped at the Canadian embassy.

The rest, he said, should be shipped to North America.

“We'll declare war against them. Kaya man natin 'yan sila. Isaoli ko talaga. Tignan mo,” Duterte said.

“Ikarga mo 'yan doon sa barko, 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," he added.

The President issued the warning while receiving a situation briefing at the Pampanga provincial capitol as regards on the effects of the Magnitude 6.1 earthquake that hit Luzon on Monday.

“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.

“I cannot understand why they are making us a dumpsite, and that is not the only case on point. Papasunod-sunod 'yan na pinapadala yung basura sa atin. Well, not this time,” he added.

In 2013, 50 containers of waste from Canada were impounded by Philippine customs authorities and left to rot in a landfill in Tarlac.

Manila has conveyed its objection to the shipment to the Canadian government through diplomatic notes, but Canada has refused to take action, insisting it was not backed by its government and that it was a private transaction.

Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in 2017 that “legal barriers” prevented their government from taking them back.

“It is now theoretically possible to get it back but there are still a number of questions around: who will pay for, where the financial responsibility is, where the consequence are,” Trudeau said at a news conference in Manila.

In its previous diplomatic notes, the Philippines urged the Canadian government to assist with the re-exportation of the containers.

The Philippines also called on Canada to “re-visit” its domestic regulations on the illegal export of waste to other countries and reminded it of its commitments under international treaties, specifically the Basel Convention.

The convention prevents the movement of hazardous waste between nations, specifically its transfer from developed to least developed states. —NB, GMA News