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MANILA, May 19-- The diplomatic spat between Manila and Ottawa escalates as Canada failed to meet the May 15 deadline imposed by the Philippines to take back the tons of trash that the North American country illegally dumped in the Southeast Asian country from 2013 to 2017. A day after the deadline lapsed on May 16, Philippine Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin tweeted that he ordered the Philippine ambassador and the consuls general to pull out of Canada. On Friday, Philippine Ambassador to Canada Petronila Garcia landed in Manila, according to the Philippine media. "We shall maintain a diminished diplomatic presence in Canada until its garbage is ship bound there," Locsin added. The "trigger," he said, was Canadian officials' failure to show up at a meeting with Philippine customs officials on May 15. "The fact alone that (Locsin) has recalled our diplomats there (Canada) shows that we are not only serious, but we're warning them that we're going to sever diplomatic relations with them," Philippine Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said in a press briefing. "Their refusal to bring back the garbage to their shores is disruptive to our diplomatic relations," he added. Global Affairs Canada spokesperson Brittany Fletcher said on Friday that Canada is disappointed by the Philippines' decision to recall its top diplomats. However, she said in a statement that Canada will continue to closely engage with the Philippines to ensure a swift resolution of this important issue. | 
