TARLAC CITY, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles® ) – For two years, containers of supposedly recycled plastic imported from Canada by a Philippine firm have been sitting at the Port of Manila after it was discovered that the import was, in fact,  toxic waste.

At last, the toxic waste found a burial place in a landfill owned by the Metro Clark Waste Management Corporation (MCWMC) located in the town of Capas in President Aquino’s home province of Tarlac.

Everything was going smoothly until Tarlac Governor Victor Yap asked MCWMC to suspend disposal of the illegally imported trash until he is presented with a certification from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) explaining the nature of the toxic waste. Yap said his demand to see the DENR certification was his response to the complaints that he and other Tarlac officials had been receiving from residents of Bamban and Capas towns. Residents there complained of stench, noise, dust and mud as trucks transported garbage, he said.

President Aquino, in a recent state visit to Canada, failed to convince the Canadian government to take back the toxic waste.

So, in an effort to save face and displaying a heroic determination to put an end to this dragged-out controversy, Aquino offered that the toxic waste be buried at Hacienda Luisita, an agricultural estate owned by his family.  Hacienda Luisita is a sugar plantation located in Tarlac that is no stranger to the decades-long controversy regarding land reform.

Aquino’s announcement could be the biggest  and most important legacy of his presidency.

Aquino’s sister, actress and television host Kris, was understandably upset by her brother’s decision. Still, she says she respects the decision.