Environment Secretary Roy A. Cimatu on Thursday vowed to learn the ropes and earn the people’s respect as the country’s chief steward of the environment and natural resources.
In a speech during the turnover ceremony at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Cimatu vowed to listen to all voices and make full use of the power and resources of his office to ensure that various concerns will be properly and judiciously addressed.
Cimatu, who became the DENR’s 16th secretary, received the DENR flag from outgoing Secretary Regina Paz L. Lopez, whose term was abruptly ended by the rejection of the powerful Commission on Appointments on May 3.
A former chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Cimatu admitted that being a soldier for over 30 years, he may have likely found himself in an unfamiliar territory.
He said his appointment by President Duterte days after Lopez’s rejection caught him by surprise. “I was in Malacañang with some friends to file my request to fly to South Korea to address the on-going tension there, but instead, I was told by [Special Assistant to the President] Bong Go that the President wants to talk to me,” he told a crowd that witnessed the turnover ceremony at the DENR Social Hall.
According to Cimatu, he tried to persuade the President to reconsider his decision to give him the top DENR post, citing his age, but the President, who was older than him, simply retorted. “Anong matanda? Mas matanda ako sa iyo ng isang taon,” soliciting laughter from the crowd.
“Here I am, wading in into a field far removed from soldiery. That is why you will please excuse me if I ask that I be given time to scan and study the terrain in an agency which impacts considerably on our very life as a people and the future of our beloved Philippines,” Cimatu said.
According to Cimatu, he will “try to do his best as Duterte’s point man in the daunting task of protecting our environment in all its forms—from the mines to the lakes and rivers, to the forests to the plains, to our waters, to our sewers, to the very air we breath, you name it—while promoting the wise and proper use of these God-given resources for the public good”.
He said he will always be guided by the “3Ps. As a soldier, Cimatu said he will protect the people and the land against all enemies of the state, as special envoy for OFWs, protect the OFWs and put them out of harm’s way now and lastly, now as DENR secretary, protect environmental safeguards and laws.
In an ambush interview, Cimatu reiterated that he will ensure mining is done responsibly, as he vowed to enforce the environmental safeguards as mandated by existing law.
He also dispelled allegations that he will take a promining stance, saying he will strike a balance between protecting the environment and exploiting the natural wealth.
Cimatu said he is passionate for the environment, contrary to allegations by some quarters. “I also planted trees when I was a young lieutenant,” he said.
Cimatu, having been a solider, is accused of various human-rights violations, and was once linked to the alleged pabaon scandal that rocked
the AFP.
Sought to comment, he simply said: “Those are only allegations.”
In her farewell speech, Lopez tried told Cimatu and Undersecretary for Mining Mario Luis Jacinto not to allow destructive mining and ensure social justice.
“I will have you shot if you don’t,” Lopez said in jest.