President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday said the return of tons of trash back to Canada is "a matter of respect".

In his speech during the celebration of Eid'l Fitr in Davao City, Duterte said he reacts against certain acts of Westerners which he think is not acceptable to the few Filipinos.

"Like the trash. It’s a matter of respect. If you will just make (my country) trash- and they think I'm joking. I told the, I'll return that if we didn't understand (each other), I will declare war," Duterte said.

Duterte said if they did not find any shipping company that will take the trash to Canada, he said he will order the Philippine Navy to do it.

"If there is no ship that will carry the trash, I will call the Navy carrying their trash. Let's go to Canada and leave that on their shores," Duterte added.

Duterte clarified that what he meant by "war" is when the Canadian Navy and police arrest his soldiers.

"Whether I like it or not, you accept your garbage because I’m going to send it to you and I will just discharge it in your waters. If you arrest my soldier, there will be war. That's what I meant," he said.

Last May 31, a total of 69 containers of garbage ? 67 of which were stored in Subic since 2013, and two were brought in from Manila ? were loaded onto MV Bavaria, a container ship commissioned to send tons of trash to Vancouver after the failure of the Canadian government to meet a May 15 deadline of the administration. Ella Dionisio/DMS