Canada has vowed to pay for the return of garbage
shipped to the Philippines more than five years ago after President
Rodrigo Duterte issued an ultimatum, an official said on Tuesday.
Duterte has given Canada until May 15 to take back the waste sent to
the Philippines in batches from 2013 to 2014, and warned of a
diplomatic falling out if there was no immediate action from Ottowa.
"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," presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said in a statement.
"The Canadian government has committed to shoulder all the expenses
to ship out all the waste containers," he added.
More than 100 containers of waste from Canada - consisting of
household trash, plastic bottles and bags, newspapers, and used adult
diapers - were shipped to the country and misdeclared as plastic
scraps.
Canada had insisted then that the dumping was not supported by its
government and that it was a private transaction.
The Philippine government has repeatedly demanded that Canada take
back the waste.
While Canada has stressed that it was committed to
fixing the matter, no definite resolution was offered.
Last month, Duterte said he would ship the waste back to Canada even
if it leads to war.
Panelo also noted last month that 70 years of diplomatic relations
between the Philippines and Canada "will be put to naught" if no
immediate action was taken to resolve the rubbish issue.
International / ASEAN/Philippines
Canada vows to pay for return of garbage shipped to the Philippines
Last month, Duterte said he would ship the waste back to Canada even if it leads to war