MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte blamed mining for the landslides, which he said has "contributed a lot of heartache to the Filipino people."
"Mining has been operating in this country uncontrolled," he added.
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Typhoon Ompong has left more than 60 people dead, most of them in landslides that hit the Cordillera region. Duterte said the Philippines faces a "double whammy" because of the landslides triggered by mining, noting that the country's location makes it vulnerable to typhoons.
"The mining industry, it has not contributed anything substantial to the national economy... I admit we earn P70 billion a year... In the end, how much do you lose in the process?" the president said.
Duterte added that Congress has to repeal the Philippine Mining Act to be able to end mining. — with Alexis Romero