DAVAO CITY – Incoming President Rodrigo Duterte is eyeing for another person to head the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and not from the progressive left as earlier planned citing serious and sensitive issues on mining operations.
But Duterte remains committed to give the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), might even consider to put leftists in some agencies. He said the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) went to Silvestre Bello III, who is also the choice of the left.
Duterte said he reconsidered to give the DENR to the progressive left after going through some papers. But Duterte said he has already explained to Fidel Agcaoili, the emissary of the Communist Party of the Philippines – National Democratic Front (CPP-NDF), why he would not concede the DENR post to them during their meeting on Tuesday night.
Agcaoili met with Duterte on Tuesday night to submit the list of nominees from the progressive left for government offices reserved for them.
“It is an impressive list… about less than ten,” Duterte told reporters. He said he already submitted the list of the nominees mostly from the University of the Philippines, to the screening committee.
“If you are identified with the left – that is not an issue with me. Once upon a time I was a left of center,” Said Duterte. He emphasized he only wanted a peaceful country.
“Hopefully when I step down wala na yung (there is no more) left… right… Moro… lumad… Christian. I want to build a strong nation for the next generation,” he said.
In explaining why he cannot give the DENR to the leftists, Duterte said there are serious issues there that he may need someone to strongly oversee. The mayor has been strongly criticizing the mining operations in the country because of abuse of resources.
“Mainit ako diyan kasi talagang sinira nila ang ating lupa (I am really furious to that… they really destroyed our land), he told reporters in a midnight conference on Wednesday.
What is unacceptable, Duterte said they (oligarchs) partnered with multinational mining firms and enrich themselves leaving nothing for the poor Filipinos but the spoils of their operations.
13 comments on “Duterte changes mind, DENR will not go to progressive left”
If Digong is after getting the best and the brightest talents for his new administration, he should not shy away from retaining a few of the current administration’s real performers. One of these is Laguna Lake Development Authority’s (LLDA) Neric Acosta who has not only performed exceptionally as LLDA head and practically Metro Manila and Region 4-A’s environmental champion, but is also now on the verge of revolutionizing the implementation of the LLDA charter and making three regions’ business and civilian populations environmentally responsible and compliant. Acosta has practically thought ‘outside of the box’ in trying to realize the dream of an environmentally responsible and compliant corridor from parts of Region 3 to the entire NCR and Region 4-A. For the sake of our children and the generations after them, this dream must come true.,,
Acosta, who hails from Bukidnon in Mindanao, has been an indefatigable environmental advocate and has fearlessly championed environmental protection and the rights of Lumads against the depredations and abuse of irresponsible mining companies. Because of this, he got the ire and hatred of some of the Aquino administration’s allies who had interests in the mining operations hard hit by his environmental advocacies. Insiders in Malacañang even said that at the start of the Aquino administration, PNoy even had it in mind to appoint Acosta as the DENR chief, recognizing his passion for environmental protection and his many accomplishments. But both the Balay and Samar groups bitterly opposed his appointment because of their significant mining interests. Thus, he was relegated to LLDA.,,
But the hostile palace allies were not done with Acosta. In short order, they got a powerful law firm to trump up charges against him before the Ombudsman. What is amazing is that although these charges have been proven actually bereft of merit because of crucial evidence provided by COA, the case still continues. The insiders say that this is one of the specialties of the said powerful law firm: to build mountains out of litigation ‘molehills’ and to keep them from ‘going away’ in spite of flimsy evidence.
If Digong is after getting the best and the brightest talents for his new administration, he should not shy away from retaining a few of the current administration’s real performers. One of these is Laguna Lake Development Authority’s (LLDA) Neric Acosta who has not only performed exceptionally as LLDA head and practically Metro Manila and Region 4-A’s environmental champion, but is also now on the verge of revolutionizing the implementation of the LLDA charter and making three regions’ business and civilian populations environmentally responsible and compliant. Acosta has practically thought ‘outside of the box’ in trying to realize the dream of an environmentally responsible and compliant corridor from parts of Region 3 to the entire NCR and Region 4-A. For the sake of our children and the generations after them, this dream must come true.
Acosta, who hails from Bukidnon in Mindanao, has been an indefatigable environmental advocate and has fearlessly championed environmental protection and the rights of Lumads against the depredations and abuse of irresponsible mining companies. Because of this, he got the ire and hatred of some of the Aquino administration’s allies who had interests in the mining operations hard hit by his environmental advocacies. Insiders in Malacañang even said that at the start of the Aquino administration, PNoy even had it in mind to appoint Acosta as the DENR chief, recognizing his passion for environmental protection and his many accomplishments. But both the Balay and Samar groups bitterly opposed his appointment because of their significant mining interests. Thus, he was relegated to LLDA.
The hostile palace allies were not done with Acosta. In short order, they got a powerful law firm to trump up charges against him before the Ombudsman. What is amazing is that although these charges have been proven actually bereft of merit because of crucial evidence provided by COA, the case still continues. The insiders say that this is one of the specialties of the said powerful law firm: to build mountains out of litigation ‘molehills’ and to keep them from ‘going away’ in spite of flimsy evidence..
It is hoped that the incoming administration will not resort to “payment for ‘utang-na-loob’” in placing people at such major income-generating GOCCs like Pagcor and PCSO. This has been the tack of all past administrations including the hypocritical Aquino administration. They have simply resorted to parcelling out these two GOCCs as ‘payback’ rewards to choice political allies and favoured cronies, making these offices the lucrative milking cows and finance sources for their administration’s special operations.
The PCSO is notable because through the years of being treated as a ‘crown jewel’ of patronage politics it has significantly underperformed in its mandate of providing the crucial charity assistance and medical help for our poor and disadvantaged masses. Worse, it has missed out on its great income generation potential as it has repeatedly failed to supplant the widespread addiction to popular illegal gambling systems like jueteng and masiao. Combined, Jueteng and masaio are reputed to rake in more than Php 100 Billion annually and nothing of these revenues ever go to public charity and medical assistance. Instead, substantive parts of these revenues are used as protection money and line up the pockets of corrupt police officials and politicians.
One of the first GOCCs that should be ordered to be investigated thoroughly by incoming President Duterte is the PCSO. Corrupt officials and syndicates have always infested this government corporation as termites infest an old wooden house. From the Marcos years down to the current self-righteous PNoy administration, plunderers and big-time thieves have made this resource-laden office their lucrative milking cow. Even the current management of LP politicians and cronies have made a sham and mockery of Aquino’s oft-repeated mantra of ‘daang matuwid’.
A revisit of the PCSO charter and a revamp of its organization needs to be done in order to realize its fullest potential as a lucrative source of much-needed funding for pro-poor social and medical assistance. As it is, this potential is never even half fulfilled because of the greedy leeches that successive Presidents have emplaced in this office.
If Digong is after getting the best and the brightest talents for his new administration, he should not shy away from retaining a few of the current administration’s real performers. One of these is Laguna Lake Development Authority’s (LLDA) Neric Acosta who has not only performed exceptionally as LLDA head and practically Metro Manila and Region 4-A’s environmental champion, but is also now on the verge of revolutionizing the implementation of the LLDA charter and making three regions’ business and civilian populations environmentally responsible and compliant. Acosta has practically thought ‘outside of the box’ in trying to realize the dream of an environmentally responsible and compliant corridor from parts of Region 3 to the entire NCR and Region 4-A. For the sake of our children and the generations after them, this dream must come true.
Acosta, who hails from Bukidnon in Mindanao, has been an indefatigable environmental advocate and has fearlessly championed environmental protection and the rights of Lumads against the depredations and abuse of irresponsible mining companies. Because of this, he got the ire and hatred of some of the Aquino administration’s allies who had interests in the mining operations hard hit by his environmental advocacies. Insiders in Malacañang even said that at the start of the Aquino administration, PNoy even had it in mind to appoint Acosta as the DENR chief, recognizing his passion for environmental protection and his many accomplishments. But both the Balay and Samar groups bitterly opposed his appointment because of their significant mining interests. Thus, he was relegated to LLDA.
The hostile palace allies were not done with Acosta. In short order, they got a powerful law firm to trump up charges against him before the Ombudsman. What is amazing is that although these charges have been proven actually bereft of merit because of crucial evidence provided by COA, the case still continues. The insiders say that this is one of the specialties of the said powerful law firm: to build mountains out of litigation ‘molehills’ and to keep them from ‘going away’ in spite of flimsy evidence.
Acosta has practically thought ‘outside of the box’ in trying to realize the dream of an environmentally responsible and compliant corridor from parts of Region 3 to the entire NCR and Region 4-A. For the sake of our children and the generations after them, this dream must come true. If Digong is after getting the best and the brightest talents for his new administration, he should not shy away from retaining a few of the current administration’s real performers. One of these is Laguna Lake Development Authority’s (LLDA) Neric Acosta who has not only performed exceptionally as LLDA head and practically Metro Manila and Region 4-A’s environmental champion, but is also now on the verge of revolutionizing the implementation of the LLDA charter and making three regions’ business and civilian populations environmentally responsible and compliant.
Insiders in Malacañang even said that at the start of the Aquino administration, PNoy even had it in mind to appoint Acosta as the DENR chief, recognizing his passion for environmental protection and his many accomplishments. But both the Balay and Samar groups bitterly opposed his appointment because of their significant mining interests. Thus, he was relegated to LLDA. Acosta, who hails from Bukidnon in Mindanao, has been an indefatigable environmental advocate and has fearlessly championed environmental protection and the rights of Lumads against the depredations and abuse of irresponsible mining companies. Because of this, he got the ire and hatred of some of the Aquino administration’s allies who had interests in the mining operations hard hit by his environmental advocacies.
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