CA on Gina: Feistiness may not be enough

Members of the Commission on Appointments (CA) admire embattled Environment Secretary Gina Lopez’s passion for her work, but this may not be enough to allow her to keep her post.

The CA committee on environment and natural resources, chaired by Sen. Manny Pacquiao, is scheduled to hold an executive session tomorrow to deliberate on Lopez’s appointment, and may even vote to recommend her confirmation or rejection before the plenary.

But Lopez, along with Health Secretary Paulyn Ubial and Agrarian Reform Secretary Rafael Mariano, is already deemed bypassed as the CA has yet to decide on their appointments as Congress goes on recess this week.

Education Secretary Leonor Briones, however, may face the CA plenary on Wednesday if she hurdles the committee hearing on her appointment that day.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson, a member of the CA, said it was apparent during the two-day marathon hearings last week that Lopez has been arbitrary in making decisions at the helm of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), including her closure of mines all over the country.

“To all our questions, it appears that she (Lopez) has her own (environmental) standards that (are) very subjective and arbitrary that it’s only she who knows them,” Lacson told dzBB.

“The issue of competence is very important, we can’t all be about good intentions. We have to make sure of her competence and fitness,” he said.

Lacson said Lopez has been repeatedly telling lawmakers that social justice is her primary standard in closing the 23 mines and revoking 75 mineral production sharing agreements (MPSA).

“But who defines social justice?” the senator asked.

CA members reminded Lopez last week the country is still being run by laws even if they share their passion for environmental protection.

Lacson cited Lopez’s contention that she would not allow mining in watersheds, but it was pointed out by geological scientists and engineers during the CA committee hearing on Thursday that the entire country was practically all watershed.

He said watersheds are a legal and technical issue and that it is the President that declares the list of critical and proclaimed watersheds after careful study.

“It can’t be that only one person dictates what are critical watersheds,” he said.

Another sign that Lopez was disregarding internationally accepted environmental standards was when she ordered the closure or suspension of mines that have International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14001 certification, which is the highest rating for environment management systems, he said.

Lacson said Lopez also fumbled when asked whether or not she knows what MPSA is.

“She must also be technically competent or at least have the basic knowledge, if not, we’re (going to) have a problem,” he said.