No sooner had President-elect Rodrigo R. Duterte stated that irresponsible mining must go that the Chamber of Mines of the Philippines (COMP) declared its full support to rid the country of reckless miners.

Citing mainly his dismay at "big mining companies," which he said are "spoiling the land and destroying Mindanao," Duterte warned that they had to shape up or face expulsion. He, however, clarified he was not against mining per se, and was for responsible mining that advocates the most rigorous of environmental criteria.
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