By Genalyn Kabiling
The Philippine Navy would have been ordered to ship the tons of garbage back to Canada if it failed to retrieve its trash, President Duterte bared Thursday night.
President Rodrigo Roa Duterte (JOEY DALUMPINES / PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
And if the country’s troops were arrested for dumping the waste in Canada, the President admitted that a war would have broken out between the two countries over the trash issue.
"Kasi kung walang barko, magkarga ng basura, ang navy ang tawagin ko, Philippine Navy, as Filipinos insulted we will… Karga mo ‘yang basurahan, pumunta tayo ng Canada, ihulog mo diyan sa pantalan nila ," he said during the Eid'l Fitr celebration in Davao City Thursday night.
"And then, of course, the Navy and the police will start to arrest my Navy men. Baka magbarilan pa. ‘Di kung magbarilan, o ‘di mag-giyera tayo ," he added.
Duterte explained that he was not joking when he first threatened to wage war with Canada over the garbage dispute. He said the trash issue was "a matter of respect,” insisting that the country should not be a dumpsite of foreign trash.
"You have to prick into my mind why sometimes I react against certain acts of Westerners which I think is not acceptable to the few Filipinos. Gaya ng basura. It’s a matter of respect. Kung gawain mo lang akong basurahan dito, p***** i**. At akala nila nagbibiro ako. Sabi ko sa kanila, isauli ko ‘yan ‘pag hindi tayo nagkaintindihan, I will declare war ," he said.
"Akala naman siguro nitong --- well, of course, sa media --- braggadocio, hambog ba, hubris. Hindi man nila ako kilala ," he said.
The Philippines finally sent back the remaining containers full of trash to Canada last week after a row over the trash exports that have strained bilateral ties. Canada reportedly shouldered the P10-million shipment cost.
The retrieval of the trash prompted the Palace to resume the official trips of government executives to Canada as well as official interaction with its government.
"Whether I like it or not, you accept your garbage because I’m going to send it to you and I will just discharge it in your water,” the President said.
"Arestuhin ninyo ‘yung sundalo ko, giyera tayo. ‘Yan ang ibig kong sabihin. Hindi nila nakuha ," he said.