Manila: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has appointed Roy Cimatu, former special envoy on Middle East concerns, as Environment Secretary.
The move comes after Duterte’s first appointee, green activist Regina Lopez, had been rejected.
Secretary Jesus Dureza, presidential peace adviser, said Cimatu was confirmed in an unexpected and simple ceremony at the presidential palace late on Monday afternoon.
“All Cabinet secretaries were taking photos, recording the event, which was impromptu. Sec. Roy had to borrow a barong (native formal attire) as he never expected this when he came to Malacanang today,” said Dureza.
Duterte has full trust on Cimatu, presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said in a statement.
“We are confident that Secretary Cimatu shall faithfully serve the interest of the country and the Filipino people in his capacity as the new DENR (Department of Environment and Natural Resources) Secretary,” he said.
A former chief of the armed forces during the administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Cimatu had been given the critical post of special envoy and head of the Presidential Middle East Preparedness Committee at a time of conflict in the region as a result of events arising from the so-called “Arab Spring” uprisings in a number of countries including Libya in North Africa.
Central to the concern of the special team was to ensure the safety of thousands of Filipinos in confict areas and secure their safe passage.
As general, Cimatu played a key role in forming the crack anti-terror unit, the Light Reaction Company in the Philippine Army. The special team has now grown to the size of a brigade and is deployed in critical conflict areas of the country such as in Sulu.
The appointment of Cimatu’s predecessor, Lopez, had been opposed by the influential mining sector.
A known environment activist, Lopez ordered the closing down of several mining companies in the country that were engaged in practices that were not environmentally sound.
For its part, the Chamber of Mines of the Philippines (COMP) greeted the appointment of Cimatu “with cautious optimism.”
“The Chamber remains committed to working with President Duterte’s administration in promoting responsible mining, and we look forward to working with Secretary Cimatu in enforcing our country’s environmental and natural resource laws,” the chamber said.
Duterte had also opposed destructive mining practices and vowed to provide a more equitable deal with the mining industry which he said was behind the rape of the environment.
Aside from mining, another key concern of the environment department is the country’s diminishing forest cover as well as pollution.
