As the powerful Commission on Appointments (CA) resumed public hearing on the interim appointments of three Cabinet secretaries on Tuesday, environmental groups reiterated their support behind Secretary Regina Paz L. Lopez for the top Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) post.
However, the Chamber of Mines of the Philippines maintained its opposition to Lopez’s confirmation, citing her “incompetence and controversial decisions and bias against the industry”.
But for the environmental groups, Lopez deserves to stay, as she has the passion for the environment and the political will to do what is necessary. Backing Lopez’s confirmation are the Alyansa Tigil Mina, the Green Thumb Coalition, Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas and Kalikasan-People’s Network for the Environment (Kalikasan-PNE).
On Wednesday Kalikasan-PNE will join civil society organizations in a support protest at the Senate to call for the confirmation of Lopez, along with Agrarian Reform Secretary Rafael V. Mariano and Social Welfare Secretary Judy M. Taguiwalo.
Lopez said her decisions to close or suspend 28 large-scale mining operations and cancel seven mineral process sharing agreement aims to ensure social justice, and is part of
her prerogative as chief steward of the country’s environment and
natural resources.
During the CA hearing, Lopez tried to sway the members of the CA that she deserves to be confirmed as head of the DENR. The CA finally decided to terminate the public hearings on Lopez’s appointment after conducting a total of three (3) hearings. The appointments body is set to deliberate and decide on her fate on Wednesday. “I’m taking the opportunity to do the right thing because that opportunity may not come again,” Lopez said.
Lopez was grilled by CA members, particularly because of her controversial decisions against mining companies, including an administrative order requiring suspended mining companies to set aside P2 million per hectare of “disturbed land” for farmers before they are allowed to transport their stockpiles.
The decision, according to Lopez, is for the common good of mining communities—particularly farmers—which she justified because mining companies are raking huge profit from the exploitation of the natural resources in their host communities.
Just recently Lopez imposed a ban on open-pit mining. The ban covers “open-pit method of mining for copper, gold, silver and complex ores.” Lopez assured CA members that whatever she does at the DENR are “within the law and government processes”.