I have no regrets – Gina Lopez

“I have no regrets. I think the mining industries were scared of me.”

An emotional Gina Lopez said this after the 25-member Commission on Appointments (CA) rejected her appointment as head of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

In a press briefing, a passionate Lopez said she has come to accept her fate despite the knowledge that many mining industries were not prepared for her tough approach against open pit mining and environmental plunder.

“The first CA hearing, I came here, I was very naïve. And then I got shocked (later on), what happened here? People who said they were nice and now, they changed suddenly, was a shock to me. That’s the time I got emotional. Then after that … I realized you can’t control the outcome. You have no control over politics kasi magulo (it’s messy),” Lopez said.

“So I have already decided the most important thing for me is to be true, since politics is so unpredictable,” she said.

But she took the opportunity to lash out against the lawmakers who rejected her ad interim appointment saying they sent a message that government has no power to go against the big mining companies.

“If government co-opts to big business, which I think it has, at least some of them, then what hope do the poor have? What message are we giving here? If you want to be confirmed never go against big ones? That’s what they’re saying.

Moral ascendancy

“If you wanna do this, do you think any DENR secretary would do what I have done? You’ll never get confirmed. Yeah? And it’s not like I went against all mining,” she reiterated.

Lopez was at loggerheads with Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea after he counteracted her order for mining firms to put up P2-million trust fund for every hectare of exploited land before they would be allowed to remove stockpiles from mining areas and before they are given export permits.

Mining stakeholders contested Lopez’ decision saying it has no legal basis.

“Who suffers if you kill the environment? The poor! And whose duty is it to protect our people? It’s the government! And when you make decisions based on business interests, you have shirked from your responsibility. You have lost the moral ascendancy to be in government because to you business and mining is more important than the welfare of our people. So take it at that. Whose gonna do the same thing now?” Lopez railed.

Against the back drop of various environment-related laws, Lopez said the highest law is the Constitution which states that Filipinos have a right to a clean environment which is now being degraded by business and money.

Rights over money

Sen. Manny Pacquiao revealed at least 13 members of the 25-member CA rejected Lopez’ nomination. Those who voted for Lopez’ confirmation include Liberal Party senators Franklin Drilon, Paolo “Bam” Aquino IV, Ralph Recto, Francis Pangilinan, Loren Legarda, Pacquiao. Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito, and Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III.

Lopez said she is ready to turn over back to the government all the necessary documents on the policies she enforced as DENR secretary.

She declared she is not interested in another Cabinet position.

“You know, you ought to know that you, every Filipino have the Constitutional right to live healthy lives. That’s a constitutional right—it is your God-given right and that is much more important than any amount of money that anyone wants to make. Money that people want to make is never more important than your constitutional right. It must never be allowed.

“The business interest must never be allowed, ever, ever be more important than your constitutional right. And that is why I don’t like open-pit mining. Because open pit mining would be there forever and a day. The people would suffer forever and a day,” she stressed.