ENVIRONMENT Secretary Regina "Gina" Lopez during her confirmation hearing Wednesday was asked by the Commission on Appointments (CA) to explain her basis for approving and disapproving Mineral Production Sharing Agreements (MPSAs).
Senator Manny Pacquiao who chairs the CA committee on environment and natural resources said they will allow each of the 30 oppositors to tell the committee their basis for opposing the appointment of Lopez.
Senator Panfilo Lacson asked Lopez to tell the CA her point by point requirements for mining companies in securing an MPSA.
Lopez, in a controversial move last February, ordered the cancellation of 75 MPSA all over the country.
Earlier, Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito Estrada said he will insist that those members of the CA whose business or family business has been engaged in mining should inhibit themselves in the appointment of Lopez.
Lopez has been a known advocate of conservation of natural resources has expressed her vocal opposition against mining companies who are allegedly going beyond the limits of the law and using their power to circumvent the law to their advantage.
"It is a mining contract between the government and the mining company. I am really not a very technical person and that's why I have people whom I trust," Lopez said, as she admitted her limited capacity on technical ability as far as mining is concerned.
Senator Franklin Drilon asked Lopez to explain her position as he further said that it is a standard that one cannot mine in critical and proclaimed watershed areas.
"Is there a definition of what is critical or is that left to your discretion," Drilon asked.
Drilon urged Lopez to make a fine and definite distinction of her power to cancel MPSAs.
"We cannot just say that we have the mandate to ban everything because the law says critical and therefore that is the standard imposed on the Secretary and on the DENR that watershed must be critical in order that mining would be prohibited," Drilon said.
For Lacson, it is important for Lopez to explain who makes the proclamation that a watershed is critical for which Lopez cited an executive order proclaiming 143 critical watersheds saying it has been declared as no-go zones.
Only two of the 30 groups who opposed Lopez were able to present their case, prompting the CA to reset another hearing on March 9, to give way to other oppositors to present their sides. (VoxPop Philippines)