Trudeau commits to address issue on garbage shipment to PH

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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has already committed to President Rodrigo Duterte that the Canadian government is already finding a solution to address the issue about the garbage shipment that has been stranded in the Philippines since 2013.

“I know it has been a long-standing irritant and I committed to him (Duterte), and I’m happy to commit to all of you now that Canada is very much engaged in finding a solution on that,” Trudeau told the press inside the Asean media center at the World Trade Center on Tuesday.

READ: DENR exec says Canada’s garbage shipment to PH is more of ‘bilateral issue’

Trudeau said he discussed the garbage issue with Duterte when they both attended the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean)-Canada’s 40th commemorative summit in Manila.

The Canadian leader explained that the long delay in addressing the garbage issue was the Canadian legal regulations.

“One of the early barriers was the Canadian legal regulations, which prevented us from receiving the waste back in Canada,” he said.

“Those regulations and impediments have now been addressed but there are still a number of questions like who will pay for, what are the consequences. This is a private transaction that does not involve the government,” he further clarified.

In 2013, a total of 55 container vans containing garbage from Canada were discovered by Customs authorities in the Manila seaport.

READ: Gov’t to heed court order to return trash to Canada

Earlier reports said the Ontario-based Chronic Inc. shipped the containers to Manila through its Valenzuela-based consignee, Chronic Plastics. /jpv