DENR secretary

Sen. Bam urges CA to revisit secret voting process

Sen. Bam Aquino described the Commission on Appointment’s secret voting system as “problematic” in the confirmation of Gina Lopez, who was rejected as secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

“Aside from the issue of accountability, there were also issues of honesty with regard to some of the members’ public pronouncements on their vote,” said Sen. Bam, a CA member for the minority together with Sens. Franklin Drilon and Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan.

The senator said he will raise the issue of secret voting to the CA minority bloc to determine if they will push to modify it.

Earlier, Liberal Party senators — including Aquino, Drilon, Pangilinan and Sen. Ralph Recto — manifested that they voted to approve Lopez’s appointment.

“Iyong LP senators nag-decide kami na suportahan si Sec. Lopez, kasama po sina Sens. Drilon, Recto at Pangilinan.  Unfortunately, natalo po kami sa boto at marami pong nag-decide na i-reject po siya,” Sen. Bam said in an earlier interview.

Sen. Bam expressed surprise over the result of the voting, saying it was unusual that members of the opposition supported the appointment of a presidential appointee.

The senator emphasized that the opposition is willing to support any presidential appointee as long as he or she can help the people and the country.

Bam: Gina will fight for our environment

A lawmaker welcomed the appointment of Regina “Gina” Lopez as secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), saying she will do a good job owing to her background as a staunch environment advocate.

“She will do a good job because she has been fighting for the environment for decades,” said Sen. Bam Aquino, a member of the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources.

Aquino believes that Lopez’s decades-long advocacy will be an important asset to the Duterte’s administration drive to protect the environment.

“Akma si Gina sa posisyon dahil alam niya ang ugat ng mga problema at marami siyang solusyon na maaaring ipanukala at ipatupad para sa proteksiyon ng ating kalikasan,” the senator said.

 A strong advocate of children and education and protection of the environment, Lopez is the chairperson of the ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation Inc., the Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission, and vice chairperson of the ABS-CBN Bayan Foundation.

Lopez also launched Bantay Kalikasan, which seeks to promote environmental protection and education and eco-tourism.

Sen. Bam is pushing for the development of the bamboo industry as means to protect the environment, saying it will help rehabilitate degraded watersheds, sequester carbon dioxide, assist in mitigation of climate change and provide livelihood to communities at the same time.

 

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