MANILA - Environment Secretary Gina Lopez faced the Commission on Appointments for a second day on Thursday, saying she was not out to pick a fight with anyone.
Lopez acknowledged that that she could be “emotional” at times, but her moves were “backed up by law every single step of the way.”
“I don’t wanna fight with people. I just feel that we should not kill the resources for our future,” Lopez said.
“Whatever I did is not arbitrary, it is backed up by law,” she said.
Lopez said she was willing to work with mines that comply with safety laws.
Lopez has riled the mining industry by ordering the closure or suspension of 28 mines and threatening to cancel up to 75 contracts.
Senator Panfilo Lacson, a member of the CA, said he was impressed by Lopez’s presentation on Wednesday, but her response to subsequent questions were “wanting”
“I want to help you get past these confirmation hearings that’s why I’m telling you this,” Lacson said.
“I don’t want you to suffer the fate of Secretary Yasay,” Lacson said, referring to Perfecto Yasay, whose appointment as foreign secretary was rejected by the CA.
Occidental Mindoro Rep. Josephine Sato agreed with Lacson.
Sato said she shared the "passion of the secretary in protecting the environment" and imposed a 25-year mining moratorium in her province when she was governor.
"The reason why we ask difficult questions here is to give the nominee every opportunity to prove their competence," she said.