Duterte to miners:  Repair ravaged farms or I’ll cut off your heads

MANILA — President Duterte warned abusive miners on Wednesday that he would cut off their heads should they refuse to rehabilitate farmlands ravaged by irresponsible mining.

Mr. Duterte said he would resolve the “mining impasse” after the Marawi crisis adding that that miners should also indemnify farmers for any farmland damaged by mining.

“If you want, you who are rich, pay them for their perdition.So if he has lost 100,000 hectares, since mining is rich, pay it. And then you plant it with trees,” the President said.

“If there are no trees planted there, those heads of yours I will cut and I will put—those are what I’ll plant there,” he added.

President Duterte said he must resolve the “mining impasse” because he saw how “destructive” irresponsible mining has been

“I am warning the rich…I saw the farmlands and I do not even see a single tree planted. And the devastation in the rice fields, no more, they can no longer plant. The fishponds are poisoned,” Mr. Duterte said.

“One of these days, I will call the rich and the poor. You just listen. You’re human, what do you think of this. You will destroy his rice field? How will they survive?” he said.

“Taxes? We get about 70 billion a year and that’s it,” he added.  SFM