DOF says Canada needs weeks to process recall of trash shipments

The Philippines is ready to return 69 container vans of garbage back to Canada on May 15, but the government on Tuesday said "burueacratic red tape" in the foreign government would require weeks for this to be realized.

Citing a report by Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero to Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, the Department of Finance (DOF) said all the necessary preparations on the part of the Philippine government have already been met.

"However, despite the Philippine government's readiness to reexport the wastes, the Canadian government informed that it might take weeks for them to arrange the necessary documents from their end and that they might not meet the May 15 deadline," Guerrero was quoted as saying in the report.

President Rodrigo Duterte last week threatened to dump the trash on Canadian beaches should the country fail to recall the shipments by this week.

Prior to this, he called on Canada to recall its trash sent to the Philippines six years ago, else risk "war" with the Philippines.

For its part, Canada earlier said it is working with the local government for a "timely resolution" to remove the shipments from Philippine lands.

In 2017, Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said "legal barriers" prevented their government from taking the shipments back.

The DOF noted, however, that the Canadian government remains committed to recall the shipments, covering the costs and making the necessary arrangements to do so.

"To do so, we will work with the Philippine government to arrange the necessary transfer of ownership of the materials in the 69 containers to Canada, so that arrangements can be made for their return to Canada," Canada's Assistant Deputy Minister for Global Affairs Donald Bobiash and Associate Assistant Deputy Minister Helen Ryan were quoted as saying in a letter to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

According to the DOF, the two sides agreed that the DENR will shoulder the costs of inspection to determine the seaworthiness of the containers of waster.

Meanwhile, Canada will shoulder the costs of fumigation, as well as the transfer and trucking services.

The DOF said that the shipping lines involved in transporting the wastes — Zim Line, CMA-CGM, and Maersk — have already inspected the containers, and have considered them seaworthy. —KG, GMA News