Filipino environmental activists wear a mock container vans filled with garbage to symbolize the 50 containers of waste that were shipped from Canada to the Philippines two years ago as they hold a protest outside the Canadian Embassy in the financial district of Makati, south of Manila, on May 7. (Source: AP) Hanoi (VNA) - The Philippines will withdraw its topdiplomats from Canada after Ottawa missed a deadline to take back 69 shippingcontainers full of trash, the latest move in a long-running row between the twocountries regarding this issue.
On his Twitter on May 16, Philippine Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin said hiscountry shall maintain a diminished diplomatic presence in Canada until itsgarbage is ship-bound there.
The statement came after the deadline of May 15 for Canadato take back the containers of trash transferred from Canada to the Philippinesa few years ago.
Last month, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte threatenedCanada with “war” and said he would personally escort the waste containers bysea back to Canada.
Canada’s foreign ministry was not immediately available for comment after thePhilippines’ statement.
Canada says the waste, exported to Manila between 2013 and2014, was a commercial transaction not backed by its government. It has sinceoffered to take it back and the two countries were in the process of arrangingthe transfer.
The Philippines has made severaldiplomatic protests to Canada in the wake of a 2016 court ruling that thegarbage be returned.
The consignments were labeled ascontaining plastics to be recycled in the Philippines, but were filled with domesticwaste and electronics.-VNA
VNA
