Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 14) — Malacañang said it is still verifying reports Chinese ships in the Spratly Islands have been dumping human waste, but stressed the government has never allowed the Philippines to become a dumpsite.
For now, the Palace will not react until the alleged dumping is verified. “Responsable lang po tayo kasi dapat i-verify muna bago magputak,” Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said during Wednesday’s briefing.
[Translation: We’re just being responsible because we should verify first before saying anything.]
“Matagal na po tayong naninindigan na hindi basurahan at syempre hindi kubeta ang Pilipinas,” Roque added. “Tingnan muna natin kung merong katotohanan dahil kung wala naman eh ‘di tayo mapapahiya.”
[Translation: We’ve stood firm for the longest time that the Philippines is not a dumpsite, and definitely not a toilet. Let’s see first whether (the report) is true. Otherwise, we will only make a fool out of ourselves.]
Roque recalled how the Philippines in 2019 asked Canada to take back the trash it had been exporting to the country since 2013.
Then-Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo warned that any further delay in the retrieval of tons of Canadian garbage could lead to the cutting of diplomatic ties between the two countries.
President Rodrigo Duterte had also threatened to wage war against Canada if it failed to take immediate action.
RELATED: Trash shipment from PH back in Canada
United States-based geospatial imagery firm Simularity has stood by its report on China’s sewage dumping in the Spratlys – causing long-term marine life damage in the whole South China Sea.
