Issue over garbage shipment from Canada

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teddy Locsin Jr. tells pulled out envoys in Canada to return to their posts following the repatriation of the 69 containers of trash to the North American country.

"To our recalled posts, get your flights back. Thanks and sorry for the trouble you went through to drive home a point," Locsin says in a tweet.

One more tweet.
To our recalled posts, get your flights back. Thanks and sorry for the trouble you went through to drive home a point.
Arrevederci!
And thank you
Canada CDA Mucci.

I always end with a rhyme.

— Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) May 31, 2019

Trash from Canada will be shipped back on Thursday, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra says in a statement to reporters.

Guevarra has been designated officer-in-charge in the absence of President Rodrigo Duterte, who is in Japan for an official visit.

"The cost of reshipment from Manila to Vancouver, estimated at P10 million, will be shouldered by the Canadian government. The container vans will be loaded on vessels owned by three shipping companies," he also says.

Ban Toxics will hold a rally in front of the Senate on Friday morning to demand the return of waste from Canada that was illegally shipped to the Philippines from 2013 to 2014.

"The wound of disrespect has never healed—it was in fact, seasoned with salt when the Canadian Government failed to comply with President Rodrigo Duterte’s set deadline on May 15, 2019 for them to take back their trash," Ban Toxics says.

The group points out that the Philippines is a party to the Basel Convention against shipping hazardous wastes to less developed countries, "Canada has victimized us and disregarded our right as a Party to the Convention the moment they illegally shipped their wastes to our lands."

"The mass will not stop making noise until this injustice has been put to balance. We at BAN Toxics demand the Canadian government to take the huge volume of hazardous wastes back to their country and lift the burden off the Philippine Government and its people. Moreover, we call on to the Philippine Senate to ratify the Basel Ban Amendment and altogether prohibit the transboundary movement of all wastes from rich countries to poor countries," the group also says.
 

"To our posts in Canada: You have your orders. You are recalled. Get the next flight out," tweets Foreign Affairs Secretary Teddy Locsin Jr. after announcing that a recall order has been issued after Canada missed the May 15 deadline to remove the garbage from Manila.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teddy Locsin Jr. releases an order recalling the Philippine ambassador and consuls in Ottawa despite the large number of Filipinos residing in the North American country.

The surprise move came after Canadian company missed the Manila-imposed May 15 deadline to have the garbage containers shipped back to Canada.

Those with Filipino ethnicity make up 2.4% or more than 850,000 of the Canadian population, 2010 data shows.

A private Canadian company shipped more than 100 containers of household waste to Manila in 2013 and 2014 and have since stayed. (Bureau of Customs photo)