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By Prince Golez, Manila Reporter
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Thursday, March 16, 2017
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MANILA – The government cannot enforce the suspension and closure orders on mining because President Rodrigo Duterte has friends in the mining industry, according to Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV.
“Ang mga mining companies ay mga kaibigan ni Duterte kaya nga hindi niya ma-implement yung suspension order ni Sec. Gina Lopez,” Trillanes said on Tuesday in a text message to reporters.
It can be recalled that Lopez issued the closure orders against 23 mining firms. The secretary also ordered the cancellation of 75 mining contracts in watershed areas.
Also, the former Navy official explained why no big-time drug lords or smugglers have been arrested.
“Kaibigan rin niya ang mga drug lords kaya nga wala pang nahuhuli ni isa at puro mahihirap lang ang napapatay,” he said.
New York-based Human Rights Watch said about 8,000 people have been killed since Duterte declared his war on drugs.
But, the Philippine National Police clarified that only 2,555 people were killed during its operations.
Meanwhile, Trillanes categorically denied that he is part of plan to destabilize the Duterte government.
“Kaya rin walang kailangan pondohan ng sino man. Si (former police officer Arturo) Lascañas at (self-confessed hit man Edgar) Matobato ay nagsasabi lang ng katotohanan para mamulat ang taongbayan tungkol kay President Duterte,” the senator said.
Both Lascañas and Matobato earlier testified before the Senate hearing on extrajudicial killings and accused the former Davao City mayor Duterte of ordering them to kill crime suspects and his political opponents.
They also admitted to the existence of the “Davao Death Squad” under Duterte’s watch./PN
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