FORMER Environment Secretary Regina “Gina” Lopez on Friday called on her her successor, Roy Cimatu, to launch a no-nonsense campaign to stop those destroying the environment through illegal quarrying and irresponsible mining, among others.
Lopez said Environment Secretary Cimatu should use his military training to put an end to these illegal activities.
Cimatu is a retired general who served as Armed Forces chief of staff. Before that, he also served as commander of the 4th Infantry Division based in this city.
Lopez, who was in the city to grace the induction of officers of the Rotary Club of West Cagayan de Oro, told a news conference that Cimatu has no reason to fail in stopping the rampant illegal quarryings and mining given that the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has a P26-billion budget for this year.
She said the DENR funds can be spent on development-oriented environmental projects “para may pakinabang ang mga kababayan natin.”
She said the DENR should not be confined to its regulatory functions.
“Kung environment regulatory agency lang, palaging merong corruption kasi binebenta yung permit,” said Lopez.
She said she introduced the development approach in the DENR when she was its head. “Hindi lang regulatory pero developmental approach.”
Lopez said the DENR would have developed many environment economic models if the Commission on Appointments (CA) confirmed her appointment.
Lopez cited the La Mesa watershed which was developed for P300 million by private sector.
“I raised P300 million from the private sector, and we put it in the La Mesa Eco Park in the La Mesa watershed, and that’s earning P40 million per year,” she said.
Disclaimer
Mindanao Gold Star Daily holds the copyrights of all articles and photos in perpetuity. Any unauthorized reproduction in any platform, electronic and hardcopy, shall be liable for copyright infringement under the Intellectual Property Rights Law of the Philippines.
