The Philippine foreign secretary says the country's ambassador and consuls in Canada are being recalled over Ottawa's failure to take back truckloads of garbage Filipino officials say were illegally shipped years ago.
Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. tweeted Thursday the Philippines "shall maintain a diminished diplomatic presence in Canada until its garbage is ship-bound there."
President Rodrigo Duterte threatened last month to forcibly ship the containers of garbage back to Canada and dump some at its embassy in Manila if Canadian officials don't take back the waste by May 15.
More than 100 containers of household trash, including plastic bottles and bags, newspapers and used adult diapers, were shipped in batches from Canada to the Philippines from 2013 to 2014.
Most of the shipping containers remain in two ports in Manila and northern Subic free port, sparking protests from environmental activists. Officials say they were falsely declared by a private firm as recyclable plastic scraps.
Australian Associated Press
