‘Ask Harper take back Canada’s waste’

Philippines president Benigno Aquino III arrives in Canada this week saddled with slumping popularity in his homeland, China’s aggression in the South China Sea and a garbage controversy.
As Aquino left for the state visit to Canada on Wednesday, Labor groups joined environmental organizations in asking the President to tell the Canadian government to take back containers full of trash that were illegally shipped to Manila two years ago.
Ban Toxics, Greenpeace, EcoWaste Coalition and Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives protested in front of Malacañang in Manila, the Department of Foreign Affairs in Pasay City, and the Canadian Embassy in Makati City to drum up interest in the issue in time for Aquino’s visit to Canada, reported the Inquirer.
They urged the President to take up with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper the return of containers full of trash that were illegally shipped to Manila two years ago.
“This is a rare opportunity for President Aquino to assert his authority as head of state and demand that Prime Minister Harper take back Canada’s waste,” said Angelica Carballo-Pago, spokesperson for Ban Toxics.
Environment Secretary Ramon Paje told the Inquirer last week that the government has dropped its demand that Canada take back “for the sake of our diplomatic relations” the 50 containers loaded with what authorities said were household waste and scrap plastic.
Four labor groups joined their voices to the calls from environmental and public health advocacy groups in asking the President to include the trash issue on his Canadian visit agenda.
The trash has been rotting at the Manila and Subic ports since June 2013 pending a decision in a case brought against the local counterpart of the Ontario-based exporter Chronic Inc. and negotiations between the Philippines and Canada.
The groups Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa, Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines, Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino and Partido ng Manggagawa said the government’s decision to drop its demand for the return of the trash to Canada was tantamount to “an open invitation to garbage smugglers.”
Since last year, EcoWaste Coalition, Ban Toxics, Green Convergence for Safe Food, Healthy Environment and Sustainable Economy, and Ang NARS party list have been holding rallies, asking the Canadian government to take back the trash.
EcoWaste coordinator Aileen Lucero said the garbage dumping was a “blatant case of environmental injustice” in light of an international treaty signed by the Philippines and Canada that seek to prevent developed nations from dumping trash in developing nations.
“This is one agreement that should be on Aquino’s priority list, a tangible indicator by which the success of his trip will be judged,” Lucero said.
In an earlier interview, Paje said the government was waiting for clearance from the Manila Regional Trial Court, after government prosecutors in February asked that the trash be disposed of in local landfills while the case continued.
Paje said the Bureau of Customs would dispose of the trash, and that the cost would be charged to the importer, Chronic Plastics.
He said the Canadian government would not shoulder the cost, nor would the exporter, adding that the government could go after the importer only.
The Canadian Embassy has refused to take back the garbage, saying the issue is a “private commercial matter” between a Canadian exporter and its Philippine importer-partner.
“The issue is as friendly countries, would you insist on hurting diplomatic relations if there is another way?” Paje said.
“They promised they would prevent a repeat. Canada will also look into their policies to avoid a repeat. They will go after their exporter,” he added.
On fears that the government’s handling of the issue could serve as a precedent, Paje said he believed the court case brought against the importer would discourage trash shipments.
“Isn’t that a major deterrent? How can we be a dumping ground when we’re vigilant. They were caught. Who else will have the courage to import if they will be caught?” he said.
Aquino who is expected to be in Canada from May 7 to May 9 with a sidetrip to the United States is also expected to raise the issue of Beijing’s aggression in the South China Sea.
China has rebuffed Canada and other nations, which are asking it to check its claims on sovereignty in the South China Sea, a move Aquino says, should spark fear around the world.
Aquino said China's reclamation activities on reefs and islets in contested parts of the South China Sea, and other actions to assert sovereignty, threatened access to international shipping lanes and fishing grounds there.
He also warned that, while he did not believe China intended to engage in a military conflict over the territorial disputes with the Philippines and other Asian nations, that was a possibility.
A recent Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showed a slump in Aquino’s public satisfaction rating .
“I’m sure it can be reversed… He needs new initiative perhaps in the area of the economy towards inclusive growth,” Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., Liberal Party vice chair, said in a text message Monday.
The survey, conducted on March 20 to 23, said Aquino obtained a net satisfaction rating of a moderate +11 from good +39 from December 2014.
Public satisfaction on the administration dropped 35 points from +47 rating it obtained from the same period last year.

Quick Facts

Canada and the Philippines have long-standing and positive bilateral relations based on shared democratic values, a mutual interest in expanding our trade and commercial relationship, and strong people-to-people ties.
In 1989, President Aquino’s mother, President Corazon Aquino, was the first Filipino President to make a state visit to Canada.
Prime Minister Harper made a bilateral visit to the Philippines in November 2012, the first by a Canadian Prime Minister in 15 years. Prime Minister Harper and President Aquino met again on the margins of the APEC Summit in Beijing in November 2014.
The Philippines is Canada’s sixth-largest trading partner in Southeast Asia and is a priority market under Canada’s Global Markets Action Plan.
With bilateral merchandise trade totalling $1.8 billion in 2014 and a market of about 100 million people, the Philippines is an important market for Canadian businesses.
The Philippines is hosting and chairing the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in 2015.
Minister Fast will be leading a trade mission to the Philippines from May 24-28, 2015, to boost trade and investment ties between the two countries.
The Philippines is a country of focus for the Government of Canada’s international development efforts.
Canada played a leading role in the global response to Typhoon Haiyan by providing significant humanitarian assistance funding to meet the immediate and early recovery needs of affected people and deploying a field hospital, experts and relief supplies to support a broad range of critical needs faced by the Filipino people.