By GENALYN KABILING
PRESIDENT Duterte is considerĀing the imposition of a total ban on mining in the country after the 2019 national elections.
The President said he wanted to close down mining operations that destroy the environment, and hoped to get the support of newly elected lawmakers.
Duterte earlier said to end minĀing, Congress has to abrogate Republic Act 7942 that governs mineral resource exploration and development in the country.
āMay batas na nagabigay ng ano na may minahan dito sa Pilipinas. Hindi ako mag ano niyan, Kongreso. Pero pagkatapos ātong eleksyon na ito, bago ang mukha naman. I will try na i-ban ā i-total ban ko na taĀlaga ang mining,ā Duterte said durĀing an assembly of rebel returnees in Samar last Tuesday.
The President said the governĀment was earning R70 billion in revenues from the mining industry but such amount was not enough to reverse the environmental degĀradation and rehabilitate the afĀfected community.
He lamented that open-pit minĀing operations have left huge holes in Mindanao and weakened the soil that lead to landslides.
Duterte previously declared his intention to shut down destrucĀtive mining operations following the deadly landslides that hit the mining communities in Benguet and Cebu.
āKayo, galit kayo sa minahan; ako galit rin. Gusto niyong sirahan ang mina? Ako gusto ko ring sirahan. Alam mo bakit? Kung ilan lang ang naibigay nila sa gobyerno? Seventy billion lang. āYan lang. Buong PilipiĀnas āyan lang ang bigay, 70 billion,ā Duterte said.
āTapos ang nasira na lupa pag-repair ko lang sa landslide sa lahat pati patay, abot siguro ng 70 billion times five, sira pa ang kalikasan,ā he said.