I was watching the Cable News Network Philippines channel late last Monday afternoon and chanced upon President Rodrigo Duterte holding a live press conference in Malacañang on the possibility of imposing a total mining ban in the country.
Accusing mining companies of funding efforts to destabilize his administration, he, however, did not cite any specific acts of destabilization or name anybody behind the supposed attempt to destabilize the government.
The Chamber of Mines of the Philippines, of course, issued a statement denying its members were involved in any destabilization attempt against the Duterte administration.
During the press conference, the President spoke against the destructive effects on the environment of the operations of big mining companies, and said that it may be worthwhile for Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Regina Lopez to enforce a ban on mining given the environmental damage that these companies have caused.
Lopez has ordered the closure of 23 mining companies and the suspension of six others, but her decision is currently being reviewed by an inter-agency council.
Duterte said Lopez was telling the truth when she presented the effects of mining on the environment, adding that mining companies should explain to the government the negative impact of mining.
Downplaying the P70 billion in taxes the country gets from the mining industry, he said he needed to talk to the operators of those mining firms that are destroying our environment.
He even went up to the point of accusing certain mining operators of planning to remove him and replacing him with someone who would turn a blind eye on these mining anomalies.
Showing pictures of the aftermath of many mining operations, the President demanded an explanation from these companies about the effects of their activities – from the deforestation of mountains and large tracts of land, to the pollution of bodies of water, and the destruction of coral reefs.
Pointing to these pictures of polluted waters, he lamented that the poor people living in mining areas have lost their sources of food.
Duterte said he believes and will still supports Lopez, whose nomination as Environment and Natural Resources Secretary has met with stiff opposition from the mining industry in the Commission on Appointments.
He also said he would direct the Philippine National Police to stop miners from using explosives to dig into the mining areas and go as far as directing the military to arrest the miners themselves.
In explaining his plans, he said he would do what was necessary to preserve the environment, including our country’s natural resources and people.
He lamented the fact that the government was going after small kaingin or slash and burn farmers and yet allowing mining.
As for the workers to be affected by the closure of the mines, he said he would “scrape the bottom of the barrel” to give them money and food.
On the other hand, the President also mentioned two mining companies that were responsible enough to rehabilitate their respective areas after mining them.
Duterte’s plans to review mining contracts that are causing environmental damage may further undermine investment in this sector that has long struggled to meet its full potential, however, he explained that decades of environmental scandals, incoherent or inhibitive regulations, poor infrastructure, and security concerns have deterred mining investment in the Philippines even more.
Duterte vowed to go after mining firms which continue to practice environmentally destructive open-pit methods and corporations which are granted mining permits “through money, influence and sheer greed. “
He bared that Australia and Canada have the best mining practices in the world, and should be emulated by firms in the Philippines.
I share in his view that only responsible mining companies should be allowed to operate in our country and that the mining industry should be strictly monitored to avoid further destruction to our natural resources. Don’t you think that this should be practiced not only in the mining industry but by everybody everywhere?