MANILA - Apex Mining Co said Thursday it resigned from the Chamber of Mines, citing "disappointment and frustration" with the group's response to President Rodrigo Duterte's call for the industry to preserve the environment.

The company's president and CEO, Walter Brown, said small-scale miners should not take the blame for damage to the environment when the President put the entire industry to task.

"I would rather that the chamber regulate its own ranks and discipline its members who do not comply with existing mining rules and regulations, and those who pay lip service to responsible mining," Brown told the stock exchange.

"If we do not clean up our ranks, all the good will go down the same drain with the bad, when the industry is taxed to death as the President has warned," he said.

Apex said it was one of several mines who passed former environment secretary Gina Lopez's industry-wide audit for compliance with safety standards.

The Chamber of Mines meanwhile said it was unfortunate that Apex's resigned from the industry group.

Atty. Ronald Recidoro, vice president of the Chamber of Mines, said it would still take into account Apex's position even as he admitted that some members of the group needed to 'improve.'

"There are some mines that need to improve their operations, their environmental protection programs, and their social development initiatives. We recognize this and are exerting pressure on these mines to implement improvements," Recidoro said in a statement.

• Duterte warns miners: I will tax you 'to death'

Duterte criticized the mining industry in his annual address to Congress last week, saying he was moved by a documentary on destructive mining by ABS-CBN's Failon Ngayon.

Duterte met with various mining stakeholders Thursday night in Malacañang.

The meeting, whose agenda was not disclosed, was attended by Recidoro and Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu.