Duterte Orders Philippine Gov't to Ship Back Canada's Trash

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered his government to hire a private shipping company to send 69 containers of garbage back to Canada and leave them within its territorial waters if it refuses to accept the trash, his spokesman said on Wednesday.

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“The Philippines as an independent sovereign nation must not be treated as trash by other foreign nation,” Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo told a media briefing.

Duterte, who last month threatened to return the trash to Canada's shores, has taken the first steps to return the waste to the North American nation.

Despite Rodrigo's threats, Canada says the waste, exported to the Philippines between 2013 and 2014, was a commercial transaction not backed by the Canadian government.

Canada has since offered to take the rubbish back and the two countries are in the process of arranging the transfer. But Canada missed a May 15 deadline set by Manila to take back the shipment, prompting the Philippines to withdraw top diplomats from Canada last week.

“Obviously, Canada is not taking this issue nor our country seriously. The Filipino people are gravely insulted about Canada treating this country as a dump site,” Panelo said.

Duterte has become well known for his threats over the years, which have at times been directed at China, Canada, and former U.S. President Barack Obama.