Duterte in new trash rant

This, according to the President, is one of his firm policies in safeguarding the environment for future generations

Do not make us a garbage dump.

This was President Rodrigo Duterte’s reminder to Western countries which he said may be more powerful than the Philippines but have no right to look down on the country and its people.

“I’d like to say to the Western countries, do not make us a garbage dump. You know, you might be more powerful, more and more developed and rich but your wealth does not translate into something like making other nations, what we call in Bisaya daog-daog,oppressed,” he said in his speech at the launching of a solar power plant in Romblon last Wednesday evening.

Duterte went on by recalling how he dealt with the tons of toxic waste illegally shipped to the country several years back

“We had that experience of Canada and the rest of the industrialized countries exporting their garbage in the guise that they can still be used,” stated the President.

“Canada sent garbage so many years and didn’t want to take it back. That’s why I said, `Son of a b*tch, I will dump that in your docks. You don’t believe me? Try me. I said go find a ship, one that’s old and good for one last voyage. One that will not come back anymore, let that son of a b*tch sink there. Give it to them,” he added.

The dozens of containers of Canadian trash, dumped in batches into the country in 2013 and 2014, were finally shipped back to Ottawa last May after the Foreign Affairs department temporarily pulled out Philippine Embassy personnel based there.

The country had a similar stand on waste materials like plastic scraps and shredded electronics shipped from Hong Kong, Australia and South Korea.

This, according to the President, is one of his firm policies in safeguarding the environment for future generations.

Permanent Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana says the permanent evacuation centers are part of President Duterte’s vision to build one in every town and city.