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[av_heading heading=’Canada waste still in PH; Trudeau blames ‘regulations’ ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
BY ADRIAN STEWART CO
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MANILA – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau blamed “regulations” for the delay in having Canada take back the garbage it had exported to the Philippines.
But Trudeau promised that Canada was “committed” to addressing the issue and that he has spoken about it with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.
“I know it has been a long-standing irritant, and I committed to President Duterte, and I’m happy to commit to all of you now that Canada is working hard to resolve the issue,” Trudeau told a news conference at the International Media Center on Tuesday.
Trudeau made a similar promise two years ago when he visited the Philippines for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit but no action had been made so far.
“Legal regulations” prevent Canada from taking the garbage back, hence the long delay in addressing the matter, Trudeau claimed.
“Those regulations and impediments have now been addressed but there are still a number of questions like, who will pay for [the transport], what are the consequences,” he said. “This is a private transaction that does not involve the government.”
In 2013 some 103 containers of trash from Canada misdeclared as “scrap plastic” were intercepted in the Philippines.
The Philippines’ Bureau of Customs filed at the Justice department charges against Chronic Plastics – the Valenzuela City-based company that imported the waste – for violating the Revised Penal Code, the Tariff and Customs Code and the 1990 Toxic Waste Act.
Customs also called on Canada to take back the shipment, citing a 1995 convention on hazardous waste, which provided that “the exporting country must take back the waste materials if the receiving country refuses to accept them.”/PN
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