Bomb open-pit mines, Rody tells PAF

President Duterte has authorized the military to bomb open-pit mines that defy a government ban on the mining technique.

Even if it would result to lower government revenues, the

President said he has opposed openpit mining given the environmental damage.

“If some open pit mining will still be operating, I’ve instructed the Air Force to bomb it,” Duterte said in the Visayan dialect during an assembly of rebel returnees in Malacañang Wednesday night.

“The pits will be made even larger and when it explodes, everything will be buried along with it,” he said.

The President said he already told the Cabinet about his position against open-pit mining, that caused huge holes on some parts of the country.

He said he would no longer allow the environmental situation to worsen due to this destructive form of mining.

“I think that the tax will be lower for the mining companies but I will ban the operation of open pit mining,” he said.

“I told them that I am not in favor of allowing the operations of open pit mining because it is destroying my nation,” the President added.

Duterte said it pained him to see the holes made by open-pit mining that resembled like “fish ponds” and “bottle caps.”

“Everywhere you look, there are holes made by mining. When it rains, the holes will store the rain water. It will soften the soil and cause landslides,” he noted.

“That is the state of our rural areas. It’s really not good,” he added.

The country’s mining law allows open-pit mining but then Environment Secretary Gina Lopez banned all prospective open pit mines during her 10-month stay in office. And Duterte supported Lopez’ stand because of the damage open pit mining has caused the environment. He has rejected a recommendation of the Mining Industry Coordinating Council (MICC) to lift the ban.

“I’ve already told (Environment Secretary) General (Roy) Cimatu. I told him, ‘Look at the situation closely, Roy, because I want…’ So don’t go into mining because the mining industry is already very big and I won’t allow the situation to worsen,” Duterte ordered.