MANILA - Members of the House contingent to the Commission on Appointments on Thursday denied reports business interests influenced their rejection of Environment Secretary Gina Lopez.

The lawmakers said they did not meet with representatives of Citinickel Corp, which had filed a graft complaint against the outgoing Cabinet official.

San Juan Representative Ronaldo Zamora, the head of the House panel in the CA, said such reports were "completely untrue

"I am not in mining and so do not know Citinickel or its people," Zamora said.

Isabela Rep. Rodito Albano said such a meeting a "never happened."

"I don't know anything about the alleged meeting. I did not attend any meeting on the night of May 2. I attended the session in Congress," said Occidental Mindoro Rep. Josephine Sato.

Lopez had blamed business interest for the CA's decision, saying some lawmakers had links to mining companies.