PRESIDENT Duterte this week made two important appointments, one drew a thumbs-up and the other a question mark, thus, displaying a remarkable ability to strike a balance in a messy political, social and economic environment that require the exercise of flexibility, creativity, understanding and competitive intelligence.
The one that attracted an instant approval from bankers and businessmen was the appointment of Nestor A. Espenilla Jr., the soft-spoken deputy to governor of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), besting three other candidates—Central Bank Deputy Gov. Diwa C. Guinigundo, former Trade Secretary Peter Favila and East-West Bank President Antonio Moncupa Jr.
Espenilla joined the BSP in 1981, after graduating magna cum laude from the University of the Philippines with a business economics degree and Masters in Business Administration (MBA) with honors, and then finished another masters in Policy Science at the Graduate Institute of Policy Science in Tokyo, Japan.
The question mark unfairly ascribed by a critic to former Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief and Ambassador Roy Cimatu, who was appointed the new secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), does not mean, according to the critic, that he’s not qualified to the position, but rather as an expression of doubt that he can match the passion, vision and tenacity of his predecessor, Regina Paz L. Lopez, to clean the mining industry of corrupt and heartless people who destroyed the environment and displaced hundreds of communities in many parts of the country.
“It is imprudent, though,” said the critic, “if we don’t give Mr. Cimatu the benefit of the doubt. After all, he’s aware of the President’s position on the mining problem, thus: “When it comes to the preservation of my country, the land…I will do what is necessary.”
The choice of Cimatu, a military man with vast experience in destabilization, has obviously something to do with what Duterte said: “I know that some of you are giving funding to the other side to destabilize me,” referring to companies in the mining sector he did not name. He did not say how his administration was being destabilized, only that there could be efforts to make him unpopular.
“You think you can live with it [environmental degradation] because of the P70 billion or because they contributed to campaign funds? Not me,” Duterte said.
Duterte strongly backed Lopez’s order on February 2 to close down 23 of the country’s 41 mines, suspended another five for environmental infringements and also canceled 75 contracts for undeveloped mines.
Although former AFP budget officer and comptroller Army Colonel George Rabusa revealed in a Senate hearing in 2011 that Cimatu, along with former AFP chiefs of staff Angelo Reyes, who also became DENR secretary in President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s administration and later committed suicide, and Diomedio Villanueva were beneficiaries of “converted cash” scandal, also known as the “Pabaon System”, no criminal or administrative cases were filed against him.
After the powerful Commission on Appointments rejected Lopez as DENR chief last May 3, the choice of her replacement became a guessing game until the President named Cimatu, which surprised everyone in the mining industry. Powerful people in the industry had already recommended Lopez’s replacement and were already floating their names in the media, hoping Duterte would listen to the lobbying.
Earlier, the President named Cimatu special envoy to the Middle East to dispel doubt that he would soon appoint him the DENR secretary.
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