Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Gina Lopez (davaotoday.com file photo)
DAVAO CITY, Philippines (Second update 9:51 pm February 22, 2o17)- Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Gina Lopez told her detractors to stop hurling her accusations for ordering the closure of 23 mines and cancelling 75 mining contracts in watershed areas early this month.
“For my detractors, stop it already. If you’re going to fight at least fight clean,” she said in a video posted on her Facebook account on Wednesday morning.
“Play the game well. If you think what I’m doing is not right at least tell the truth,” she added.
Lopez also admitted that her job is too difficult. “I must say it hasn’t been easy especially with the negativity hurled in all my way tapos hindi pa totoo.”
“Sometimes I think I’m in a war zone,” she said in Filipino.
Lopez also turned emotional in her video message when she addressed her supporters.
“Alam ko na pwedeng pwedeng pwede isang bansa na sana wala ng mahirap at sana, sana nagmamahalan. Pwedeng pwedeng pwede (I know it is possible to have a country where there is no poor and whose people are loving. It is really possible). And when I listen to all of you, I know it can happen,” Lopez said.
She also appealed to businessmen not to be “greedy” in expense of the natural resources.
“There’s just a few businessmen na sobrang greedy. Hindi naman nila kailangan yung pera, tama na no. bakit mo wawasakin yung tubig ng komunidad, andami na nilang pera, tama na (They don’t need money. Stop it. Why will you destroy the source of water of a community, you have so much money already, stop it.) You don’t have to make money that way,” she said.
Lopez’s appointment
The Chamber of Mines in a statement last week said it is opposing 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 posted on its website on February 14.
The COMP said in its 42 years it has maintained an active working relationship with the government
“We have always worked with the DENR secretary appointed by every President even as we had issues and disagreements. We always threshed them out with the Secretary in a cordial, professional and fair manner and based on the rule of law,” it said.
The lobby group said they expected that Lopez would be fair and would follow the rule of law. However, they saw that Lopez’ actions “have been influenced by her prejudices.”
“We have repeatedly tried to work with the secretary-designate, however, it is clear that after 8 long months, the secretary-designate is unwilling to work with us and as we have feared, her recent actions have been influenced by her prejudices,” the COMP said.
Due process
However, Lopez stressed that their office followed due process.
“We followed due process, every step of the way. The law and the mining law protects the lives of people,” she said.
She said teams from the DENR in all regions will plan together with the displaced mine workers, farmers, fishermen on what alternative livelihood they could pursue without endangering the environment.
“Nobody’s gonna lose their jobs. Sa ngayon hindi naman sila nagtatrabaho ngayon… yung mina hindi yan araw-araw. Aalagaan sila (As of now they are not working.. mining is not a daily job. They will be taken cared of),” said Lopez.
She said they will come up with a plan this week, adding that they will include input from the Department of Tourism, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Science and Technology, and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.
She said the DENR will allot P3 billion for Caraga province, where 14 large scale mining firms will be closed.
“DENR has the money to make it happen. For the Caraga region alone I have 3 billion and that does not include government money of the other departments,” she said.
“We can make a better world in very short span of time. There’s mining in these areas for so long at hanggang ngayon marami pang nagdurusa (but until now, many are suffering),” Lopez said.
The environment secretary also appealed to mine workers to consider taking another job.
“Are you comfortable working there na maraming nadadamay? May mga tao na, yes may trabaho kayo pero andami-daming magsasaka, mangingisda na nadadamay, eh yung buhay nila hindi ba importante din yan? (Are you comfortable working there when there are lives who are affected? There are people… yes you have a job but there are so many farmers, fisher folks affected, aren’t their lives important too?” (davaotoday.com)
