After President Rodrigo Duterte reappointed her as environment secretary, she met strong opposition and criticism because she shut down 23 mines. For Fr Edwin Gariguez, the environment and the poor were sacrificed for business and political interest. For Gina Lopez, “It’s very sad that [. . .] business interests have run the day”.
Manila (AsiaNews/CBCP) – The Commission on Appointments (CA) of the Filipino Congress rejected Gina Lopez as Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration. She held the department on an interim basis.
A pioneer of corporate social responsibility, Ms Lopez was backed by the Catholic Church on several occasions for her action in favour of the population and environmental protection.
President Duterte had reappointed her after she failed to get the CA backing before Congress went on a six-week break on 15 March.
As an environmentalist and a philanthropist, Gina Lopez faced stiff opposition and criticism after she ordered the closure of 23 mines and the suspension of five more for failing to meet environmental and safety standards.
An official with the Filipino Catholic Church said that the CA’s rejection of Lopez as environment secretary shows how special interests won over the public good.
For Caritas Philippines’ executive secretary Fr Edwin Gariguez, this was expected since some CA members have ties to mining companies.
“The decision is expected, given the powerful lobby of the Chamber of Mines and the vested interest of many politicians who wantonly opted to sacrifice the interest of the environment and the poor over their own agenda,” noted the clergyman.
Speaking at a press briefing in the Senate shortly after the CA rejected her confirmation, Ms Lopez said, “It’s very sad that in the Commission on Appointments, clearly, business interests have run the day.”
In view of this, she thinks that this “needs to be reevaluated because how can a body, which is mandated to make decision based on the common good, make decisions based on business interests?”