Mayor: City will only oppose metallic mining

DAVAO City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio on Monday said the city will only oppose applications for metallic mining, which will also be emphasized in the bill authored by Davao City Representative Isidro Ungab (3rd District).

The mayor was referring to House Bill No. 05684, which was already approved on second reading that aims to declare Davao City as a "Mining-Free Zone".

Duterte-Carpio said she already told Ungab to make the necessary corrections in the specific limitation of the ban before the bill reaches Senate.

During her weekly press briefing Monday, the mayor reiterated that the city will only oppose all future metallic mining applications.

She said limestone mining and quarry activities will still be allowed in the city. At present, there are existing earth-fill and sand & gravel quarry operations in some parts of the city.

However, the city mayor was quick to add that these quarry operations are strictly regulated by the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (Cenro).

"We are waiting for Representative Ungab's bill to develop into a national law, in that way, we will be covered as a "No Mining Zone" in line with our opposition to mining here in Davao City," Duterte-Carpio said.

This, despite the recently released Executive Order (EO) No. 79 by President Benigno Aquino III laying down the new mining policies in the country.

"In the meantime, all applications will be opposed by the City Government," she said.

Last week, the city mayor, along with her father, Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte emphasized that even with the issuance of EO 79, the city will remain mining-free.

The vice mayor even warned the prospective mining investors that the city might allow them to operate but issued a warning that rebel group might go after them.