DENR Sec. Gina Lopez INQUIRER PHOTO/JOAN BONDOC
Another controversial member of the Duterte Cabinet, Environment Secretary Gina Lopez, has apologized to the Commission on Appointments (CA), this time for saying that some of its members were purportedly offered P50 million each to reject her appointment.
鈥淚 also like to take this opportunity to deeply apologize to the members of the Congress because I had originally made a statement of P50 million鈥︹�� Lopez said when she faced her confirmation hearing at the CA鈥檚 committee on environment and natural resources on Wednesday.
READ: Gina Lopez: Solons offered P50M to dump me
鈥淚 know many members of the Congress personally and I can truly vouch for their integrity, their sincerity, their love of country so that was not meant as an allusion at all.鈥�
鈥淚t was a remark done without any evidence so again, if I had hurt anyone鈥檚 feelings, I want to apologize for that in front of everyone,鈥� she said.
Lopez was earlier quoted in the media as saying that 鈥渆very congressman was offered P50 million if they voted against me.鈥�
But she also quickly dismissed her own statement as mere gossip.
鈥淚 have heard鈥攜ou know how people talk鈥攖hat there was a kitty where every congressman was offered P50 million if they voted against me. That鈥檚 just what I heard. It鈥檚 tsismis, there鈥檚 no evidence, there鈥檚 no anything. And I said that casually. It鈥檚 not a news bit,鈥� Lopez said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just tsismis, and they turned tsismis into a headline,鈥� she added.
READ: P50M offer to dump me just gossip, says DENR chief Lopez
A number of sworn opposition to Lopez鈥檚 appointment has been submitted to the CA.聽CBB