(Updated) Oppositors to Environment Secretary Gina Lopez zeroed in on her "competence" and her "conflict of interest" to their family businesses, as basis for her not to be confirmed by the Commission on Appointments (CA).
Lopez on Wednesday, March 8, faced the powerful body whose members include lawmakers with mining interests like San Juan City Representative Ronaldo Zamora, who also happens to be the vice chairperson of the commission. He is the brother of Manuel, who is currently the chairman of Nickel Asia Corporation (NAC) which operates Hinatuan Mining Corporation and Taganito Mining Corporation in Surigao del Norte.
Lopez herself is a member of the Lopez clan whose business interests include power and energy, media and telecommunications, power generation and distribution, property and real estate, and manufacturing.
Senator Manny Pacquiao, environment committee chairperson, said there are currently over 20 people, mostly congressmen, who have filed sworn oppositions to Lopez's confirmation.
“We would want to hear all oppositors to be fair,” Pacquiao said.
But only two oppositors were able to talk before the legislators decided to continue the proceedings on Thursday, March 9.
First oppositor Manuel Galvez of Clean Air Advocates said Lopez is "incompetent" and needs to study the environment pointing out her failure to act on faulty air monitoring systems.
In response, Lopez stressed that achieving clean air was her “passion” and that an investigation is already underway to verify their claims.
She also asserted that Galvez's opposition is due to "business interests" as the latter is involved in a billboard business on air quality ads.
"He makes money by selling ads," Lopez said.
Dr. Carlo Arcilla, of the Asia Oceania Geological Society, chided Lopez for her failure to help residents affected by a pipeline leak in Makati City in 2010 which involved her family's company, First Philippine Industrial Corporation (FPIC).
"The secretary said water is life. She said she wants no suffering. But I haven't seen her visit Bangkal which is just a short distance away," Arcilla said.
He also cited another conflict of interest in the involvement of the Lopez family in an aggregate mining in Lobo to which Lopez said has already stopped.
"The Bangkal incident was addressed long before I became DENR secretary, (and it's finished) and my family spent $1.5 million. And the oppossitor, himself, agrees it was a job well done. It's finished," Lopez said.
She further added that "If my family has been found remiss on the environment, they will be asked to comply, and they're fully aware of that."
"There is no sacred cow here. I have agreed to the president to serve my country and the people and I will do it in the most sincere way that I can abiding by the highest principles," Lopez said.
"Which means if any member of my family, or any institution violates environmental laws then they be meted and be treated just like everybody else. And they're fully aware of that stand and they support it," Lopez said.
Lopez then questioned Arcilla disclosing that "he is a consultant for Marcventures, DMCI and Century Peak..and so he just wants me to visit Bangkal so what about his areas there?"
Lopez's confirmation as Environment secretary has been suspended to allow more oppositors to present their cases. (VoxPop Philippines)
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