A missionary, jousting with windmills (2)
By Oh, East is East and West is West, and never the twain shall meet, Till Earth and Sky stand presently at God's great Judgment Seat; But there is neither East nor West, Border, nor Breed, nor Birth, When two strong men stand face to face, though they come from the ends of the earth! — Rudyard Kipling
OUR world will only be so much poorer unless our secretary of Environment and Natural Resources and our major mining concessionaires are unable to find a middle ground. Secretary Gina Lopez failed on the second round to pass the muster of the Commission on Appointments — thanks to the strong lobby efforts of the mining companies who balk at her closing 23 mines, suspending five others, and canceling 75 mining permits last month. The Mining Industry Coordinating Council is also jealous about safeguarding the R70 billion the industry contributes to annual government revenue.
The secretary and the mining companies should be on the same page. Gina Lopez says that she didn't create the problem or raise the standard: She is only implementing the norms which have always been there, even if others before her have looked the other way. She avers that there is no problem if the miners are able to comply with the prescribed rule and points to the many mining companies which successfully abide and thrive.
Moreover, 80 percent of the proceeds from mining operations goes to the company, and much of it leaves the country. Lack of regard for environment means our rivers are destroyed and surrounding farms polluted. She could tick off top-of-the-head endemic natural flora on which we could earn many times over what we earn from mining. Too much is at stake for the contending parties to waste time on who can pee farthest.
KINKS IN THE ARMOR . But even the cabinet is divided. Secretary Lopez ordered R2-million trust fund imposed for every hectare of land disturbed by miners. She has made compensating the affected farmers a pre-condition to the removal of their stockpiles from mine sites. But Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea overruled this and suspended the imposition of the trust fund in response to the representations of the mining companies.
LINES ARE DRAWN. Surigao del Norte Congressman Robert Ace Barbers says that Medialdea’s decision to suspend the imposition of the trust fund “is not an opposition to Lopez’s proposed additional mine fund… because the petitions center on this controversial trust fund.”
Sen. Loren Legarda and her Luntiang Pilipinas pledge support for Lopez, "I will support her (Lopez). I’ve supported her from the beginning. Her heart is in the right place and I hope that my colleagues in the commission will support her.” TWO TO ONE? Secretary Lopez said she is not sure if she will keep her DENR portfolio. She said for every 10 organizations supporting her, 20 oppose her in the Commission on Appointments. Her detractors filed formal opposition to Lopez’s appointment on various grounds, from "grave abuse of authority" to "ignorance of the law" and even "graft."
It is surprising that she is on the carpet, and the miners on whom she is to preside over are rendering judgment.
WORD OF HONOR, PEKS MAN!
Gina Lopez's mantra is simple: "We, at the DENR, present a platform to effect change and an opportunity to do what is right to make sure future generations will continue to enjoy our precious natural resources anchored on the principles of social justice and the common good." No one can quarrel with that. But if we can only agree on the common good.
How the CA will ultimately vote on her appointment depends on steadfast support of President Duterte, other administration officials, and their allies in Congress. To many today, Gina Lopez is riding Rosinante on a ideal quest for the ideal. But it would be a sad day if the battle for the environment comes short at the May CA hearings. Gina Lopez may be our best chance in a long time… because our secretary of Environment and Natural Resources should not be pliant and beholden to the mining magnates but steadfast to troths to protect and preserve our natural resources and how these are developed and utilized to the greatest good.
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