Palace: PHL to ‘shoulder all expenses’ in shipping back Canadian trash
By Arjay L. Balinbin, Reporter
MALACAÑANG on Wednesday said the Philippine government will now shoulder all expenses for shipping back Canada’s garbage.
In a press briefing Wednesday afternoon, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador S. Panelo said President Rodrigo R. Duterte was “upset” about the delay in the shipment of Canada’s garbage.
The Canadian government missed Mr. Duterte’s May 15 deadline for the shipment of garbage dumped in the Philippines back to Canada.
“President Rodrigo Roa Duterte is upset about the inordinate delay of Canada in shipping back its containers of garbage. We are extremely disappointed with Canada’s neither here nor there pronouncement on the matter,” Mr. Panelo said.
He added that, “Obviously Canada is not taking this issue nor our country seriously.”
“The Filipino people are gravely insulted about Canada treating this country as a dumpsite.”
As a result of this “offending delay,” Mr. Panelo said the President has “instructed the appropriate office to look for a private shipping company which will bring back Canada’s trash to the latter’s jurisdiction.”
“The government of the Philippines will shoulder all expenses. And we do not mind,” he also said.
If the Canadian government will not accept the trash, Mr. Panelo said the Philippines “will leave the same within its territorial waters or 12 nautical miles out to sea from the baseline of any” of Canada’s shores.
“The President’s stance is principled as it is uncompromising: The Philippines as an independent sovereign nation must not be treated as trash by other foreign nations. We hope this message resonates well with the other countries of the world,” he added.
