The Canadian government will pay the estimated P10 million shipping fee for the truckloads of hazardous waste it illegally dumped in the country years ago.
Canada will be shipping back the waste tomorrow, May 30.
Justice Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra, appointed officer-in-charge of the executive department, confirmed this in a text message to reporters on Wednesday night.
“The Canadian government will shoulder the cost of reshipping the trash back to Canada. The containers will be loaded on vessels owned by three companies, including Maersk lines,” Guevarra said.
“Estimated shipment cost is P10 million,” he said.
The other two shipping companies are the Zim lines and France-based CMA-CGM.
Malacanang earlier said it will reject Canada’s move to ship back the waste by end of June, saying the President cannot wait that long as he want the trash to be sent back immediately.
A week ago, President Duterte expressed outrage over the “inordinate delay” of Canada in retrieving the waste, prompting him to order concerned agencies to look for a private shipping firm that will ship the waste back.
Malacañang even said back then the Philippine government is even willing to shoulder the expenses.
The Philippine government has also recalled its ambassadors and consuls in Canada after Ottawa failed to comply with the May 15 deadline to take back the garbage.