Canada working towards ‘timely resolution’ on removal of waste in PHL

Canada on Wednesday said it is working with the Philippine government for a "timely resolution" to remove tons of Canadian waste shipment to the country, which has been the subject of diplomatic protests from Manila.

"A joint technical working group, consisting of officials from both countries, is examining the full spectrum of issues related to the removal of the waste with a view to a timely resolution," the Canadian Embassy said in a statement.

In a separate interview with reporters in Quezon City, Canadian Ambassador John Holmes said Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is "committed and has recommitted to resolving this issue, including taking the waste back to Canada" without a specific time frame.

"He said that in numerous occasions but we can only do that in partnership of the government of the Philippines," said Holmes.

The progress of talks with the Philippine government, Holmes said, is "good" as he noted that Filipino officials admitted that "it's a complex issue that needs to be worked through very carefully."

President Rodrigo Duterte earlier threatened to "declare war" against Canada if it fails to take back the tons of garbage in one week.

"I will declare war against them. I will advise Canada that your garbage is on the way. Prepare a grand reception. Eat it if you want to," Duterte said on Tuesday.

'Serious'

Duterte’s spokesperson, Salvador Panelo, said Wednesday the President was serious with his pronouncement.

"He is serious to ship the trash back to Canada," Panelo said in a message to reporters.

In 2013, 50 containers of waste from Canada were impounded by Philippine customs authorities and left to rot in the ports.

Manila has conveyed its objection to the shipment to the Canadian government through diplomatic notes. Canada insisted it was not backed by its government and that it was a private transaction.

Nevertheless, the embassy said Canada is "strongly committed to collaborating with the government of the Philippines to resolve this issue."

It said it is also aware of a court decision ordering the importer to ship the material back to Canada.

"In 2016, Canada amended its regulations around hazardous waste shipments to prevent such events from happening again," the embassy said.

"We are committed to working collaboratively with the government of the Philippines to ensure the material is processed in an environmentally responsible way," it added. — with Virgil Lopez/RSJ, GMA News