Duterte threatens to ‘tax to death’ miners who won’t restore communities

President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday threatened to raise taxes imposed on mining firms it they fail to restore the communities their businesses have environmentally affected.

“Either I will raise taxes at ang kita i-reserve ko to compensate for the suffering and their agony. You have to come up with a substitute, either spend to restore the virginity of the source or I will tax you to death,” Duterte said in his State of the Nation Address.

“Kasi yung taxes na makukuha ko, ibubuhos ko [doon],” he said.

Duterte said he will “stop mining” altogether if the mining companies do not restore the environmental damages they have caused  communities.

“I will ask you to stop it. It’s not good,” he said. — RSJ/KVD, GMA News