Lopez willing to be Duterte’s aide to pursue mining crackdown

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte speaks with former Environment Secretary Regina Lopez before the start of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board Meeting at the Malacañan Palace on Feb. 20, 2017. Also in the photo is Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Secretary Jesus Dureza. (Presidential photo by KING RODRIGUEZ)

Former Environment Secretary Regina Lopez on Thursday said she was not closing her door to serving as an aide of President Rodrigo Duterte to continue her anti-mining crusade, after the Commission on Appointments rejected her nomination to the post.

Lopez made the remark a day after she said that only the President has the guts to take her post as Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) chief and go after big businesses.

READ: CA rejects Gina Lopez; mining stocks jump

“‘Yan ang gusto ko (That’s what I want), [to serve] even as Usec (undersecretary), an ally. You can’t protect our natural resources if you don’t have some kind of tapang or integridad (courage or integrity), hindi ka pwedeng mabili. When I went around, I was shocked with the corruption in the DENR,” Lopez said over radio DZMM.

Lopez also expressed her disappointment with the CA’s decision, saying that she actually thought that more lawmakers would vote “according to principle.”

In a separate interview with ABS-CBN News Channel, Lopez added: “When we were doing the numbers—I know that there are business interests in the Commission of Appointments—but when we were doing the numbers, I actually thought I had them. But even then I know that politics is unpredictable, I actually thought that there were more people in the CA who would vote according to principle, so I was disappointed.”

Lopez said she would like to talk to President Duterte and ask if her people can stay at the DENR to continue her advocacy and initiatives. “If I didn’t do it now and I don’t get confirmed, I could have lost the opportunity to make a change,” she said.

READ: Mining funds, politics played hand in Gina Lopez rejection—Reds

“They don’t really judge for public interest. It’s all horse trading… It’s clear business, even in the line of questioning… Why are our lawmakers protecting that? They should protect the rights of Filipinos. What are they doing? They are protecting the rights of the miners. That’s what it’s all about,” Lopez added.

Lopez’s 10-month tenure was marked by her order to shut down mining companies across the country. But despite CA’s rejection, she said had no regrets over her bold moves.

“Our resources must be used in a judicious way that our people would not suffer. While some senators and congressmen there talked about due process, who talks about the constitutional rights of the farmers? They have a right to their quality of life,” she said.

“The Philippine Constitution itself says in very certain terms that every Filipino has the right to clean and healthy environment. How about their constitutional rights? Aren’t those being violated. And in this instance, whose duty it is to ensure that the right of every Filipino is intact. It’s the government. I, in my prerogative, am exercising my mandate as an individual tasked in government service to make sure that our people don’t suffer,” Lopez added.

Voting 16-8 via secret balloting, the CA’s committee on environment and natural resources on Wednesday rejected Lopez’s nomination. Eight senators were known supporters of Lopez, namely Manny Pacquiao, Vicente Sotto III, Loren Legarda, JV Ejercito, Francis Pangilinan, Franklin Drilon, Ralph Recto and Bam Aquino. JE/rga