(Eagle News) — Malacañang expressed “deep concern” over the rejection of environment stalwart, Gina Lopez, as the secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) by the Commission on Appointments.
Presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella said that while the Palace respects the CA’s decision, it is concerned about what happened.
“It is with deep concern that the CA has seen fit to reject her appointment. On the other hand, it’s a democratic process and we respect their decision,” Abella said on Wednesday shortly after the CA rejected President Rodrigo Duterte’s ad interm of Lopez.
“She has contributed a lot of meaningful insights into the environment and the Philippine environmental situation,” he said.
President Duterte has repeatedly backed up Lopez amid criticism by mining groups, and even by his childhood friend, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, who hit Lopez’s decision to suspend mining operations.
The President earlier admitted even his former “classmates” tried to call him so he would change his mind about Lopez. But he said he was for her because of her advocacy and passion for the environment.
He earlier said that even if the country loses the P70 billion allegedly contributed by mining to government coffers, “we can live without it.”
“I would rather follow Gina… Get the 70 billion somewhere else and preserve our environment,” Duterte said early March, in a speech at the launch of the PTV4 Cordillera Hub.
But with the powerful CA rejecting Lopez’s appointment, Malacanang may have no option left but to respect it.
According to the rules set for appointments, what the President sends to the Commission is just a nomination.
“After the Commission has given its consent, the President issues the appointment. It is only when the last stage has been completed may the officer concerned take his oath of office,” the CA rules said.
“The second paragraph of Article VII, Sec. 16, of the 1987 Constitution also empowers the President to issue appointments while Congress is not in session. Such appointments are called ad interim appointments, and it goes through the following stages: appointment and confirmation.
“An ad interim appointment is permanent in nature and takes effect immediately. Thus, one who was issued an ad interim appointment may immediately enter upon the discharge of his functions,” the rule on the CA appointment process read.
The CA members decided to make a “secret voting” in deciding the appointment of Lopez, amid a very strong lobbying from mining industries against the very vocal and passionate DENR chief.
8 senators vote for Lopez’s confirmation
Only eight senators voted to confirm Lopez, as against the 16 members of the CA which also included members of the House of Representatives. There are 12 member senators in the CA.
Those who claimed to have voted for Lopez’s confirmation were senators Manny Pacquiao (who headed the Committee on environment), Loren Legarda, Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, JV Ejercito, and Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan who said fellow Liberals Ralph Recto, Franklin Drilon, and Bam Aquino also voted to confirm Lopez.
The CA is composed of 26 members, 12 of them senators and the rest are congressmen.
