PAMPANGA -- President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday, April 23, vehemently warned to wage a war against Canada, if it still fails to take back heaps of trash illegally shipped to the Philippines.
Duterte, who is in San Fernando City, Pampanga, gave Canada only a week to take out the tons of garbage dumped in the Philippines six years ago.
"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 (in Canada to bring back their trash)," he said during the situation briefing on the effects of Luzon earthquake held at the Pampanga Provincial Hall.
"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. Magkaaway kami ng... Eh, 'di ano, awayin natin ang Canada. We'll declare war against them, kaya man natin 'yan sila," he added.
(I cannot understand why they are making us a dumpsite, and that is not the only case on point. They keep on dumping their trash on us. Well, not this time. I'll declare a war. We'll wage a war against Canada. We'll declare war against them, we can defeat them.)
Duterte made the remarks following the renewed calls from environmental groups on Canada to take back its waste illegally sent to the Philippines.
In 2013, the Philippines found that Chronic Incorporated, a private firm in Ontario, shipped a total of 103 container vans of garbage mislabeled as "recyclable plastic materials" to Manila. The shipment was consigned to Philippine company Chronic Plastics.
The Philippine government has discovered that the 18 inspected containers were consisted of mixed waste such as adult papers, waste paper and other household trash that need to be immediately disinfected. The other 26 container vans of trash has been illegally dumped into a landfill site in Tarlac.
The shipment of Canadian waste was deemed illegal, as provided by the Basel Convention signed by the Philippines and Canada.
The Basel Convention prohibits the trade of toxic and hazardous wastes, unless a country consents to it.
Duterte said he would not hesitate to send back the garbage to Canada, if it refuses to take its waste out of the Philippines.
The President said he would not let any country to make the Philippines a dumpsite.
"Isauli ko talaga. Tignan mo. Ikarga mo 'yan doon sa barko (I will send it back. You'll see. I'll load it to a ship). 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 said.
"Send them back or do not allow them to drop anchor here. Just tell them go back to where you came from. I will not allow that kind of shit sa ating bayan (in our country)," Duterte added. (SunStar Philippines)