Finance secretary Carlos Dominguez III (Medel V. Hernani/davaotoday.com)
DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Before the scheduled hearing on the confirmation of Environment Secretary-designate Gina Lopez, Finance secretary Carlos Dominguez III shares what he thinks about Lopez’s role in the government.
“Being secretary is not like being a crusader. Being secretary is balancing the needs of the different sectors of society,” Dominguez told reporters in Malacañan on Tuesdaywhen asked whether Lopez’ confirmation will be good for the government.
“In government kasi there’s very few win-win situations. Some groups win and some groups lose. You just make sure that the majority, your decisions cover the majority and are good fro the majority,” Dominguez said.
He added that a government official should have “an approach that is very balanced, that is very deliberate, that is very rational, that is science-based.”
“Sometimes it’s difficult to do it, sometimes you don’t have enough information, sometimes you’re driven by circumstances. But I think every member of the government, whether secretary or director,or mayor has to balance.. it’s a balancing act,”
Lopez has recently ordered the closure of 23 mines and the suspension of 75 mineral production sharing agreement located in watersheds.
The decision earned the ire of mining companies who cried foul on what they see as a decision that lacked due process.
The Chamber of Mines even moved to oppose the confirmation of Lopez.
“The Chamber of Mines of the Philippines has come to the conclusion that it will not ever come to a productive and rational dialogue with Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) secretary-designate Regina Paz Lopez,” it said in a statement on February 14.
Review of Lopez’ issuances
Dominguez said that the Minerals Industry Coordinating Committee will set up a technical working group tasked to review the mining contracts to ensure whether Lopez’ issuance followed due process.
He said the TWG will meet this Friday to discuss plans and submit a budget. He added the review of the contracts might take up to three months.
“We will not rush it, it has to be deliberate so we’re sure it’s the correct process,” he said.
Dominguez said the technical working group will be composed of private and public professors, engineers, and government lawyers who will do a review “if indeed due process has been followed religiously.”
“I’m sure Secretary-designate Gina Lopez welcomes the opportunity for the MICC which she co-chairs to review the actions that were recommended by her staff. We just want to make sure that they followed due process and of course if there are some lapses in the due process, they can always correct it and proceed with what they want as as long as the due process specified by law has been followed,” he said.
Dominguez said he wants to make sure that Lopez’s findings does not violate due process.
“That if she cancels a mine, that if in her judgment the mine has violated the law and she follows due process I want to make sure when she closes the mine it stays closed,” he said.
He added that when due process is not followed the mines would go to court and the court will give relief so that the company can resume operations. He said mining companies can also file damages against the government for closing them illegally.
“I want to avoid those. That’s my responsibility as co-chair, and as a member of the team. We all belong to the same team of President Duterte,” Dominguez said.
No involvement in mining
Meanwhile, Dominguez denied he has involvement in mining operations saying he was only involved in mining twice in his life.
From 1999 to 2003 Dominguez served as chief executive officer of Philippine Associated Smelting and Refining Corporation, a copper smelting company located in Leyte.
“I got familiar with mining because we used to buy their products. We used to buy concentrate from local mines and mines all over the world and convert them to copper,” Dominguez said.
From 2006 to 2008, Dominguez also worked to rehabilitate the Rapu-Rapu Processing Inc. in Albay when it had a spill.
“The foreign stockholders asked me to put a team together to remediate, to fix the mine so they can operate again. From 2006 to 2008 we fixed up what was wrong with the mine and they operated again. After that I am not involved in mining either in management or as a shareholder, or any other capacity ,” he said.
Dominguez added that the 5,000 share of Philex Mining Corporation that was stated in his statements of assets, liabilities and net worth are his son’s since 1967.
“We have not transferred it to his name yet. My mother had some shares, she gave my son a gift when he was born,” Dominguez explained. (davaotoday.com)
