Manila: The appointment of beleaguered Environment Secretary Regina “Gina” Lopez was shelved anew, officials said, prompting environment activists to fight for her appointment.
In a marathon hearing on Lopez’s nomination on late Thursday, members of the bicameral Commission on Appointment decided to reconvene in an executive session to decide her appointment on March 14, Sen. Panfilo Lacson said on Friday.
Those who opposed her appointment included mining industry leaders, scientists, and indigenous groups, said Lacson, adding they claimed she was biased against mining.
She was asked why she included “social justice” as criteria in her audit of 41 mining firms in the country since July, said Lacson.
Lacson said he was impressed by Lopez’s presentation for every CA member to understand her decision to close 23 mining firms and suspend five more last February. Lopez has also threatened to cancel up to 75 mining contracts of companies that are yet to start their operations.
But “she should have given better responses to queries,” advised Lacson. He did not hint if the CA will thumb down Lopez’s appointment.
Explaining that she could offer pro-environment assistance to mining firms, Lopez told CA members that companies could undertake “area development” with the use of the companies’ social development and management programme (SDMP) funds.
“I’m willing to work with mining companies that don’t adversely affect human life (that comply with safety laws),” said Lopez, adding her best assets are “my integrity and my non-negotiable commitment to truth, to service, and the common good”.
Talking about her style, she acknowledged she could get “emotional” at times, adding, “I am passionate about what I am doing but I am not subjective.”
On working for the protection of the environment, Lopez said, “I am not changing the law, I am enforcing it. Whatever I did is not arbitrary, it is backed up by law every single step of the way. I just feel that we should not kill the resources for our future.”
The Philippines is “divided” between “millions” who are against destructive mining and smaller “thousands” who fear loss of livelihood with the shutting down of mining operations, Lopez said. President Rodrigo Duterte has always backed her appointment,
Reacting against Lopez, Congresswoman Josephine Sato said if the former felt the current mining law favoured corporations, she should have asked Congress to amend it.
“We oppose the confirmation of Ms. Lopez as she has shown herself unfit and unqualified to be the government’s lead regulator,” insisted Chamber of Mines vice president for legal affairs Ronald Recidoro.
“Cancelling contracts without due process and changing rules in the middle of the game frightens away quality investors,” said Recidoro, adding that Lopez’ closure order affected 17 cities and municipalities in 10 provinces, and loss of P 821 million (Dh68.41 million) annual revenues.
About 30 million hectares of land in the Philippines have an estimated $1.4 trillion worth of reserves in aluminium, chromite, copper, and gold. Metal deposit is estimated at 21.5 billion metric tons; non-metallic deposits, 19.3 billion metric tons. About 999 approved mining applications cover only one million hectares of lands nationwide.
Philippine minerals exported to Australia, Canada, China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, United States, and the United Kingdom earned $3.2 billion in 2010, and $4 billion in 2015.
