DENR chief hurdles CA panel

MANILA, Philippines - Repeatedly bypassed for four years, Environment Secretary Ramon Paje was finally endorsed for confirmation by a panel of the Commission on Appointments (CA) for today’s plenary session at the Senate.

Paje will join Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman for confirmation in today’s plenary session of the CA, the last session day of Congress before it adjourns sine die.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima would have one more confirmation
hearing today after which the CA would have to decide if she would join Paje and Soliman in the plenary session.

The fourth Cabinet member not yet confirmed by the CA is Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla, who has yet to be scheduled for confirmation hearing by Sen. Sergio Osmeña III, chairman of the CA’s committee on energy.

In his eighth confirmation hearing before the CA, Paje was finally endorsed for confirmation by the committee on environment and natural resources, but only after being grilled by Osmeña.

Osmeña, who has described the appointment of Paje as being less than desirable, raised various issues during his confirmation hearing, including the operations of real estate developer DMCI in Zambales City.

According to Osmeña, the developer does not have the necessary permits from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to construct the port in Bolitoc, Zambales.

Paje argued the developer has an environmental compliance certificate from the DENR and a permit to operate from the Philippine Ports Authority.

Osmeña, however, citing communications coming from the regional director of the DENR, said the developer has no foreshore agreement.

He said the ECC would exist for 25 years upon its issuance or upon termination of the foreshore agreement, whichever comes first.

“I’m accusing you of barefacedly lying before the committee. I move that we suspend and defer the consideration of this nomination,” Osmeña said.

In spite of Osmeña’s initial protest, the committee proceeded to endorse the confirmation of Paje.

“He will be confirmed. I was outvoted. I know the way things work at the Commission on Appointments. I know that the House votes as a bloc. I know that the House gets the marching orders, and they will vote that way,” Osmeña lamented.

Paje, for his part, said he has nothing against Osmeña, who he said was just doing his job as a member of the CA.

“Remember when you are being evaluated at the CA, you are being evaluated on your competency. I think I don’t have any issues there. What was brought up were issues about work and policies, which I think Congress should really do because they should help us in crafting policies. This is democracy at work,” he said.

Soliman, on the other hand, said she is ready to face Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago on her confirmation.

Santiago had vowed to block the confirmation of Soliman.

“I believe that her opposition is based on principles that she stands by,” Soliman said.

“I respect the opposition of Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago to my confirmation. I respect her legal opinion as a member of the Commission on Appointments, as a senator and as a legal luminary,” she said.

Soliman said she “has nothing ill to say about Senator Santiago,” adding that she recognizes the right of Santiago to perform her role.

Meanwhile, four more civil society groups have expressed support for Justice Secretary Leila de Lima’s confirmation which will be deliberated in today’s session.

The Pinoy Marka Ko, a coalition of youth and student leaders from various universities; the Action for Consumerism and Transparency for Nation Building, a consumer and good governance advocacy group; Anti Trapo Movement, a group pushing for electoral reforms and new politics; and the Reborn Filipinos, a coalition of anti-graft and corruption groups, said attempts to derail her confirmation is an injustice to the Filipino people.

 â€œWe see that the opposition against the confirmation of her appointment as Secretary of Justice is a blatant attempt to rob us of a genuine public servant,” said Leander Marquez, lead convenor of Pinoy Marka Ko. – With Rainier Allan Ronda