Aquino replaces Alvarez as CCC vice chairman

MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino yesterday replaced former Sen. Heherson Alvarez as vice chairman of the Climate Change Commission (CCC).

The President, who sits as chairman of the commission, designated Lucille Sering, also one of the commissioners, to take the place of Alvarez.

But since Alvarez has a fixed six-year term as a commissioner, he will remain in the commission.

Sering has criticized Alvarez for making critical decisions for the body without consulting other members and a lack of transparency in his dealings within the commission.

Alvarez defended himself and said that all the commission’s transactions have been “very transparent.”

Alvarez, who served as climate change adviser during the administration of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, has been drawing flak during the past months for his supposed unilateral actions within the commission.

The climate change official was summoned to the Senate last month after Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile learned that the country incurred loans for climate change mitigation.

He has also been criticized for allegedly taking over the CCC’s chairmanship – a position supposedly occupied by the Philippine president – and making important decisions without consultation.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte clarified that the President could replace the vice chair of the commission but not remove Alvarez because of his six-year tenure.

The appointment of Alvarez, a close friend and ally of Aquino’s late father Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr., was questioned after an apparent disagreement over which country the Philippines would endorse to host the Climate Summit in 2012.

Alvarez reportedly picked South Korea to host the summit while the Department of Foreign Affairs has endorsed Qatar.

The former CCC vice chair said that he was surprised with the decision of Aquino to replace him.

Alvarez said the decision was so sudden that he was caught unprepared.

“It didn’t occur to me that this will happen since I know that the President has full trust and confidence in me,” he said, adding that his ties with the Aquinos could be traced back to the time of former President Corazon Aquino and her husband the late senator Aquino.

Though Alvarez said he will respect the President’s decision, he is still sad since he has been engaged in the issue of climate change for so long and has already learned so much about the issue.

He suspected that Sering is into what he calls “backdoor maneuvering” that resulted in her appointment as the commission’s vice chairman. – With Rhodina Villanueva