MANILA, Philippines — The containers of garbage illegally shipped to the country in 2013 are ready to be repatriated to Canada this week.
All 69 containers have recently been fumigated in Subic before being loaded to a ship contracted by Ottawa.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said the containers of waste are scheduled to be shipped back to Canada on Thursday.
"All containers containing garbage cleaned and ready to go. Waiting for a couple of documents and routine permission from China for transshipment to Canada. Departure is May 30," Locsin tweeted Monday night.
ALL CONTAINERS CONTAINING GARBAGE CLEANED AND READY TO GO. WAITING FOR A COUPLE OF DOCUMENTS AND ROUTINE PERMISSION FROM CHINA FOR TRANSSHIPMENT TO CANADA. DEPARTURE IS MAY 30. Anybody gets in the way one way or another, I will screw you dry. Don't provoke me.
— Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) May 27, 2019
That's not only nice to know; it is nicer to be appreciative. To President Duterte for pushing the right button—believe me no one advised him—and to Canada for fully cooperating to get it done as he wanted: pronto. Created under PNoy; left to fester 4 years; solved by Duterte.
— Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) May 27, 2019
Also thank ICTSI'S Ricky Razon for picking up our part of the tab. A cooperative effort of DENR, the Canadian ambassador, the CN Foreign Minister—everyone who had nothing to do with legally letting the garbage in the first place then never lifting a finger to get it out. https://t.co/AKLPfcOAjA
— Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) May 27, 2019
A few weeks ago, Locsin ordered the recall of Philippine diplomats in Canada after the North American country missed its May 15 deadline of taking back the trash from the country.
The Philippines' top diplomat said Manila would maintain diminished diplomatic presence in Canada until the garbage issue is resolved.
Canada's Minister of Environment and Climate Change Catherine McKenna later on announced that the Canadian government has awarded a contract to a company to bring back the waste to their country as soon as possible.
Canada initially announced that the shipping form will first treat the garbage and will complete the preparation by end of June.
Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo then announced that President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the appropriate government agency to look for a shipping firm that would ship back the trash to Canada.
Panelo said Duterte will not allow the process to take until June.
Despite Malacañang's pronouncements, the 69 containers of garbage will be shipped by the private Canadian firm as announced by Locsin on Twitter.