By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Former Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Gina Lopez yesterday lauded the position taken by President Rodrigo Duterte on mining, particularly on proposals to heavily tax their operations.
“Duterte is surrounded by mining interests, yet he has put his duty to the nation first,” she said in a radio interview.
She also credited the president on his advocacy for the poor.
In his recent State of the Nation Address (SONA), the president warned mining companies, “Either spend to restore the virginity of the source or I will tax you to death.”
Duterte said he would use revenue from mining taxes to help communities “left in agony.”
The president also demanded mining firms to stop destroying watersheds, forests, and aquatic resources./WDJ