Lopez blames business, politics for CA rejection

MANILA, Philippines - Teary-eyed and visibly angry, Gina Lopez railed against “business interests” that she claimed influenced some members of the Commission on Appointments (CA) into voting against her nomination as environment secretary.

“If the government is coopted by big business, what hope do the poor have? What message are we sending here, that if you want to be confirmed (by the CA), never go against big business?” Lopez told reporters after the bicameral body rejected her appointment.

At Malacañang, presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella thanked Lopez for her “meaningful insights into the environment” but stressed the administration would respect the CA decision.

The panel’s rejection of Lopez came exactly a week before the lapse of the one-year election ban on the appointment of losing candidates to government posts, on May 10.

“Who suffers if you kill the environment? It’s the poor. And whose duty is it to protect our people? It’s the government and when you make decisions based on business interests, you have shirked your responsibility,” she said.

The CA members who voted against her, Lopez said, “lost the moral ascendancy” to be in government “because to you, business and money is more important than the welfare of the people.”

She repeatedly stressed it was the constitutional right of every Filipino to have a clean and healthy environment.

During her confirmation hearings that started last March, Lopez singled out San Juan Rep. Ronaldo Zamora, vice chairman of the CA committee on environment, for undermining her during the deliberations. Zamora’s brother, Manuel, is founder and chairman of mining giant Nickel Asia.

Lopez has been hit for her alleged arbitrary and illegal closure and suspension of 28 mines and cancellation of 75 mining contracts. She was also being questioned for appointing several undersecretaries and consultants at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources without proper authorization.

She was the subject of graft cases, including illegally requiring closed mining firms to set up a P2-million trust fund for the rehabilitation of areas with huge ore stockpiles.

She said she felt indignant being rejected despite making a promise to CA members that she would follow the law.

“What did I do wrong? I just don’t want our farmers to suffer. You make so much money, what’s P2 million for harming our farmers while you make money?” Lopez said.

She thanked the eight or nine lawmakers who voted according to their conscience.

Lopez said she could have done much more, especially with the team she has at the DENR.  When asked who she thought should replace her, she said it should be President Duterte himself.

“What happened here is so powerful. I didn’t know it but being DENR secretary is powerful. You have the authority over the use of our resources,” Lopez said.

“I can’t think of any other person. One, it (DENR post) needs guts, it needs tapang (courage) because you have to step on business interests,” she said.

Egged on by her supporters, Lopez sang “I believe I can fly,” her previous rendition of which went viral on social media.

Sen. Francis Pangilinan, who voted for Lopez’s confirmation, expressed sadness over the development.

“The decision not to confirm Secretary Lopez is a rejection of the significant change that this administration had promised,” Pangilinan said.

“We lost the chance to have a DENR chief that will truly care, give protection to and further foster our environment and natural resources,” he said.

Aside from Pangilinan, other Liberal Party senators voted to keep Lopez at the DENR. They were Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto, Paolo Benigno Aquino IV and Franklin Drilon.

Saddening

Chief presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo said the CA’s rejection of Lopez’s appointment saddened him.

“Personally, I am very sad about the rejection of the CA on the appointment of  DENR Sec. Gina Lopez. The President supported her all out but we have to respect the decision of the CA, that’s how democracy works in this country,” Panelo said.

He said he texted the rejected official to tell her there is life after her Cabinet exit.

“And I will support her in all the endeavors that she will be pursuing thereafter,” he added.

Noting that Lopez was the second Cabinet secretary rejected by the CA after former foreign affairs secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr., Panelo explained that it is not Duterte’s style to meddle in the affairs of a co-equal branch of government.

“The President’s policy has been not to interfere with any of the branches of government. He respects every decision that each department takes,” he added.

There are “certainly other talented people” who could take over anyone rejected by the CA, he pointed out.

Abella, meanwhile, added “it is with deep concern that that CA has seen it fit to reject her appointment.”

“On the other hand, it’s a democratic process and we respect their decision. And so at this stage, we leave it at that,” he said. He also declined to name a possible replacement for Lopez, stressing the final decision remains with Duterte.

“We lost a staunch protector of the environment in government,” Rep. Harry Roque of Kabayan, for his part, said of Lopez’s CA rejection.

“I look forward to seeing Ms. Lopez lead civil society in protecting the country’s environment and natural resources,” he said.  – With Paolo Romero, Christina Mendez, Elizabeth Marcelo, Jess Diaz, Delon Porcalla