MANILA - Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said on Wednesday the government cannot scrap an existing mining law but added that he wants to implement stricter measures.

"But remember there is a mining law and we cannot altogether banish it," Duterte told a media briefing.

Duterte this week named former general Roy Cimatu as the new environment minister to replace staunch environmentalist Regina Lopez, a move welcomed by miners in the world's top nickel ore producer but opposed by green groups who said he does not have a track record in conservation.