DENR’s Lopez backs Jasareno at MGB

MANILA, Philippines - Environment Secretary Gina Lopez has maintained that she will push for the retention of undersecretary and mining audit head Leo Jasareno who was dismissed from office early this week.

In a press conference Friday, Lopez said she is yet to talk to President Rodrigo Duterte who appointed Wilfredo Moncano as director of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), rendering Jasareno out of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

“I would like his (Jasareno) retention. I want to talk to the President because I don’t understand what this is all about, if someone did a good job, you should even pat him on the back,” she said.

“I believe that the President is a good man and I respect his decision to bring on Director Moncano but I still want to talk to him. I am validating Jasareno in the same way as I am validating the President,” Lopez added.

Lopez also refuted earlier reports published that Jasareno resigned from his post.

“Leo Jasareno did not resign. I’m really happy with his service. He did the audit and to put show cause orders to 30 companies takes courage,” she said.

While Jasareno is still out of the department, Lopez said she is keeping him as a senior resource person.

“He served his country and the DENR faithfully for the past 38 years. There’s never been any evidence or proof of corruption against him,” she added.

“He continues to have my trust, confidence and support,” Lopez said.

Jasareno led the recently-concluded mining audit which resulted to the suspension of 10 firms and the possible suspension of another 20 companies.

Despite complaints from some of the stakeholders in the industry, Lopez maintained that she is happy with the integrity, dynamism and rule of law in which the audit was done.

“If anybody wants to fight, you fight with me. Nobody takes the blame, but me,” she said.

Listed Lepanto Consolidated Mining Co. has filed a case against Jasareno for the violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

Lepanto alleges that the “bad faith and gross inexcusable negligence of Jasareno in announcing on national TV on Sept. 27 that Lepanto had been recommended for suspension by the DENR Audit Team.”

The company added that audit team concluded “the company substantially complied with the pertinent provisions of the environmental and mining laws, rules and regulations, thus no penalty is recommended by the team.”

The mining firm, which operates in Benguet, said pronouncements of Jasareno caused undue injury to Lepanto.

The month, the DENR announced that Lepanto’s grounds for suspension include the unregistered treatment, storage and disposal facility for the detoxification process for its mill tailings; four fatal and 11 lost-time accidents; and its low performance in tree planting.