Mindoro solon backs probe of alleged bribery

BEFORE THE REJECTION Former Environment Secretary Gina Lopez (right) shakes hands with Occidental Mindoro Rep. Josephine Sato, amember of the Commission on Appointments, who later voted against her confirmation. —GRIG MONTEGRANDE

Occidental Mindoro Rep. Josephine Sato on Sunday supported Sen. Panfilo Lacson’s call for Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III to investigate allegations that members of the Commission on Appointments (CA) were bribed into rejecting the nomination of Gina Lopez as environment secretary last week.

“I believe inaction will be a disservice to our people and to our country. Any allegation that undermines the integrity and independence of the CA must be taken seriously,” said Sato, a CA member like Lacson.

Malacañang on Sunday defended President Duterte after Lacson chided him for making a “sweeping assault” on the Commission on Appointments.

Mr. Duterte said that “lobby money” was involved in the rejection of Lopez’s nomination to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

An environment advocate, Lopez incurred the ire of big mining companies after she ordered in February the shutdown of 23 of the country’s operating mines allegedly for ruining watershed areas. She also canceled 75 mineral production sharing agreements.

Presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella said that what Mr. Duterte said merely highlighted the existence of certain vested interests in the appointment of officials.

“This, however, does not in any way diminish the integrity of the Commission on Appointments,” Abella said in a statement.

Guidance from President

Lacson turned the tables on Mr. Duterte on Sunday as he surmised that the lawmakers who voted to reject Lopez had sought guidance from the President.

The senator noted that several CA members, like Senators Manny Pacquiao and Juan Miguel Zubiri, were known to be close allies of the President.

“There are members close to the President who have a direct line to him. I’m almost sure they first asked him [on what to do with Lopez],” Lacson said on dzBB.

Lacson was among the 16 CA members who voted on Wednesday to reject the President’s nomination of Lopez, a member of the family that owns the broadcast giant ABS-CBN.

Eight of the 24-member commission, including opposition Senators Franklin Drilon, Francis Pangilinan and Bam Aquino, voted for the confirmation of Lopez’s appointment.

But Lacson lashed out at fellow CA members who stood up during the commission’s plenary session to make public their support for Lopez, saying this was a violation of the commission’s amended rules that required secret balloting.

Lacson said the action of some of his colleagues practically unmasked those who were against the nomination of Lopez.

Citing the result of the secret balloting, he said some of the lawmakers who had claimed in the media that they supported Lopez actually voted to reject her.

He argued that while some senators voiced out their support for Lopez during the plenary session, they did not formally oppose the CA decision to reject her nomination.

In a statement, Sato said she did not question Lopez’s passion for the environment and her vigorous campaign against irresponsible mining.

Rule of law disregarded

But Sato said the tendency of Lopez to use her “prerogative over established rules and regulation, and ignore due process [was] an utter disregard for the rule of law and [showed] a lack of understanding of the function and role of the executive department.”

As a result, Lopez “inadvertently gave illegal loggers, irresponsible miners and environmental criminals a loophole or a workaround through legalese and technicalities to the detriment of affected communities and the marginalized sectors,” the congresswoman said.

Sato said Lopez had also set aside civil service rules when she hired 55 “consultants” and officials. —NIKKO DIZON AND MARLON RAMOS