DENR Secretary Gina Lopez delivers a statement on Wednesday, May 3, 2017, after she was not confirmed by the CA. (Photo by GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE / Philippine Daily Inquirer)
All four Liberal Party (LP) senators on Wednesday voted to confirm the appointment of Environment Secretary Gina Lopez, but their votes were not enough to get the approval of the powerful Commission on Appointments.
The four are Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, and Senators Francis Pangilinan, and Bam Aquino. Recto is part of the Senate majority bloc while the three other LP senators are all in the minority group.
鈥淚 represent the LP contingent in the Senate and with the consent of Senators Recto, Drilon, Aquino, and of course this representation, we鈥檇 like to place on record that we likewise voted for the confirmation of Secretary Gina Lopez because we believe in her qualification and her abilities to lead the department,鈥� Pangilinan, LP president, said.
In an interview with reporters after the voting, Drilon said the LP as a bloc voted to confirm Lopez鈥檚 appointment.
鈥淯nfortunately, we lost in the vote,鈥� he said.
鈥淪ad. The Liberal Party would have wanted to see Secretary Lopez carry out her programs, but it鈥檚 democracy and that鈥檚 our system,鈥� Drilon, LP vice chair, added.
Aside from the four LP members, three other senators 鈥� Senate Majority Leader Vicente 鈥淭ito鈥� Sotto III and Senators Loren Legarda and Joseph Victor 鈥淛V鈥� Ejercito also stood up on the floor to manifest that they voted for Lopez鈥檚 confirmation.
Sotto, Legarda, and Ejercito are all part of the majority group.
鈥淚 voted for the confirmation of Gina Lopez as Secretary of DENR,鈥� Sotto said. 鈥淭herefore I wish to manifest that I鈥檓 not supporting the committee report.鈥�
Legarda registered her 鈥渟trong dissent鈥� to the commission鈥檚 rejection of Lopez鈥檚 appointment, saying the latter could have been one of the 鈥済reatest鈥� secretaries of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
鈥淚 wish I could stand here to sponsor the nomination or the confirmation of who could have been one of the greatest secretaries of environment,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t breaks my heart to read my manifestation but I will.鈥�
鈥淢r. President, it鈥檚 unfortunate that we let pass a great opportunity for my much beloved DENR to be led by someone, who has the passion, integrity , and political will to implement our environmental laws,鈥� Legarda added.
She said she hoped that the next DENR secretary would have the same passion, political will and integrity like Lopez 鈥渂ut would not suffer the same fate in the commission.鈥�
Sen. Manny Pacquaio, who presided over Lopez鈥檚 confirmation hearing as chair of the CA鈥檚 Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, was also saddened by the decision of the panel that recommended the rejecttion of the nominee鈥檚 nomination.
鈥淏ut the commission has voted today and has met the required 13 votes,鈥� Pacquiao said when he presented the committee鈥檚 recommendation on the floor.
鈥淲ith sadness in my heart, this committee, through this plenary, is terminating its deliberation on Gina Lopez鈥檚 appointment not in the way I personally wanted to but by the the decision of the majority.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 not the end of your career, but only the beginning,鈥� Pacquiao added.
Other CA members kept mum on their votes since it was done in an executive session. /atm