Environment Secretary Regina Lopez

ENVIRONMENT Secretary Regina Lopez retracted on Thursday her accusation that members of the Commission on Appointments each received a P50-million bribe to block her confirmation. At a news conference, Lopez said she was not accusing the CA members and said she did not have any proof of the bribes. “I am not accusing anyone. I don’t have the evidence. I was just telling [about the supposed bribe] casually. I don’t have any idea. This is my first time in politics,” she told reporters. She said she called a press briefing to immediately clarify her statement. “You can quote me on this. Politics is really messy. All I want to do is just to save water,” she said, referring to her plan to close 75 mining companies operating in watershed areas. After giving a talk about environmental protection before the Makati Business Club Tuesday, Lopez said she was “worried about the CA.” “I just answered casually. [But] There was no press [in that event]. [I said] I heard there was P50 million,” she said.“I don’t know [all] those congressmen in the CA. Some people [there] I know because I like them, like [Manila Rep. Rosenda Ann] Sandy Ocampo.” Lopez said Ocampo had helped her once in one of her river system projects in Manila. She also expressed her approval of A-Teacher Rep. Julieta Cortuna and Davao Oriental Rep. Joel Almario, as well as Valenzuela City Rep. Wes Gatchalian. She blamed the Philippine Daily Inquirer for coming out with an article based on her “casual” remarks before the Makati Business Club. “I really heard there’s a big kitty [out] there to make sure I don’t get confirmed. That’s what I heard but I don’t have the evidence,” she said. She appealed to the CA to give her the chance to “clean the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. That is my promise to the President.” She said someone was just “rocking the boat to cause trouble.” “I am not hitting anyone.” She admitted there are corrupt agency officials. “I know there is corruption at the DENR. Any regulatory body is a seabed of corruption,” she said.Lopez met with about 50 MBC members on Tuesday, during which she said that she was told that every congressmen was offered P50 million if they voted against her confirmation. She said she had met briefly with President Rodrigo Duterte about the mining closures. “The President backs my decision,” she said. Lopez, however, lost the support of Almario, who chided her for making “irresponsible accusations” against the members of the CA. He said he now agrees with Lopez’s detractors that she is “unfit for the position.” “I have manifested in our CA meetings of the House contingent that I may perhaps vote to confirm her as I see her [as] incorruptible,” Almario said. As a matter of fact, Almario said, he even issued a press release supporting Lopez’s closure orders of mining operations and urged her to terminate or suspend DENR employees and officials who issued permits to these operations during the past administration. “But her irresponsible and sweeping accusation shows there is some truth to what her detractors have been saying all along against her as unfit for the position,” Almario said. “And now as one of the 12 congressman-members of the Commission on Appointments, I am included as a suspect to her sweeping accusations,” he said. In another news conference in Quezon City, various non-government agencies came forward to support the confirmation of Lopez on March 1. In an eight-minute video posted on her Facebook page, Lopez turned emotional and addressed her detractors, particularly a few of the mine owners, and called them “very greedy.” Before the business group, Lopez had said: “My confirmation is on March 1. Let the dice fall where it may. I don’t care. I was told that every congressman was offered P50 million if they voted against me. I don’t know. I heard there’s a kitty out there, I don’t know, that’s people talking.” CA member Isabela Rep. Rodolfo Rodito Albano III chided Lopez and advised her to “stop acting like a prima donna.” “She heard? She just heard and she took it already as gospel truth? What’s her motive for making it public? [So] that when the congressmen voted against her, people would think the CA members got bribed?” Albano said. Following Lopez’s statement against the lawmakers, the 12-member House contingent, led by its chairman San Juan City Rep. Ronaldo Zamora, canceled the “courtesy call” sought by Lopez with the House contingent. Zamora said the contingent would just see Lopez on Wednesday during her confirmation hearing.