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PHL recalls envoys after Canada misses deadline on trash shipment
Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Thursday said he has ordered the recall of several ranking Philippine officials in Canada after it missed the deadline to take back the tons of trash it illegally shipped to the Philippines years ago.
“Canada missed the May 15 deadline. And we shall maintain a diminished diplomatic presence in Canada until its garbage is ship bound there,” Locsin said on Twitter.
At midnight last night, letters for the recall of our ambassador and consuls to Canada went out. They are expected here in a day or so. Canada missed the May 15 deadline. And we shall maintain a diminished diplomatic presence in Canada until its garbage is ship bound there.
— Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) May 15, 2019
Due to the delay, Locsin said, the ambassadors and consuls of the Philippines in Canada are ordered to return to the Philippines.
“They are expected here in a day or so,” he said.
The DFA secretary noted that even though Malacañang seems amenable to a delay in the shipment of garbage back to Canada, it does not mean that the deadline has been extended.
He said during the Japanese emperor enthronement ceremony, the Department of Finance informed him that Canada did not show up at a meeting set with the Customs
“That was the trigger,” Locsin said.
That the government may consider a 2 to 3 week delay DOES NOT EXTEND THE DEADLINE. Our diplomatic presence in Canada shall be de minimis. At the Japanese enthronement ceremony, DOF informed me that Canada did not show up at a meeting with Customs and that was the trigger.
— Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) May 16, 2019
President Duterte earlier dissed Canada over the tons of garbage that were illegally exported to the Philippines in batches in 2013 and 2014.
Canada said they are already working with the Philippine government for a "timely resolution" to remove the tons of Canadian garbage in the country. —Joviland Rita/KBK, GMA News
