News Articles on Paje's Confirmation as DENR Secretary

Panel recommends DENR chief Paje's confirmation

Pia Ranada
Published 8:24 PM, Jun 10, 2014
Updated 8:24 PM, Jun 10, 2014

On the 7th hearing on his appointment, the DENR secretary is questioned for allowing the operations of a DMCI Mining's port and problems in the implementation of a reforestation program

The CA panel heard from two more people opposing his appointment.

Former congressman Angelo Palmones accused Paje of lying about issuing a cease and desist order (CDO) against a port run by DMCI Mining in Sta Cruz, Zambales. It allegedly continues to operate without a Foreshore Lease Agreement (FLA), a requirement for an Environment Compliance Certificate. The ECC is a document issued by the DENR’s Environment and Management Bureau (EMB).

A Writ of Kalikasan was issued last January against DMCI and is now pending deliberation at the Court of Appeals. A Writ of Kalikasan is a special legal remedy given to ordinary citizens if there is threat of environmental damage, recognizing that such violations should be addressed at once.

‘Passing the buck’

Palmones demanded that DENR stop the port operations on the grounds that the ECC issued to them in 2007 is no longer valid because of the absence of an FLA.

Though Paje admitted there was no FLA, he said the Philippine Port Authority (PPA) issued DMCI a 5-year special permit allowing the port to operate from 2013 to 2017. Because the case was “under the jurisdiction of the PPA,” the DENR failed to issue a CDO to DMCI Mining.

Osmeña, the only senator at the hearing, chided Paje for “passing the buck” on the PPA and using the pending Court of Appeals decision as an excuse.

“If the CA has not moved on it, has it prevented you from your mandate of taking care of the environment? I’m not asking what PPA is doing about it, although they probably need to be investigated too. What is the DENR doing about it? The port continues to operate. This is shameful,” said Osmeña.

Despite opposition from the local community that the mining operations continue to cut large portions of the mountain, Paje admitted no CDO has been issued to DMCI Mining.

The temporary provisional permit issued by the DENR in place of the required FLA expired way back in January 2009, yet operations went on as usual.

Paje’s roundabout way of answering Osmena’s questions and emphasis on the permits issued by PPA led the senator to say, “You always seem to lean backwards in favor of the operator.”

Seemingly frustrated by Paje, Osmeña called for the hearing to again be suspended. After being approached by CA officials during a one-minute break, he withdrew his motion.

Greening program questioned again

A second concerned citizen, Elizabeth Carranza, chairperson of Save Sierra Madre Network Alliance, also aired her grievances against Paje during the hearing. (READ: Paje's office overspends P21.4M on meals)

A bulk of her testimony blasted Paje for his implementation of the National Greening Program, the government's largest reforestation program.

“The NGP has not been implemented well. It has only been a venue for more corruption within the DENR. A large amount of the Kaban ng Bayan (taxpayers’ money) has been wasted and burnt,” said Carranza.

Based on research commissioned by her organization, people’s organizations contracted by the DENR to produce seedlings for the NGP had allegedly not been paid the P12 per seedling promised them.

In one case, a DENR forester was said to be conniving with the president of the Abuan Upland Farmers Association in order to pocket the money that should have been distributed to the organization’s members.

In Casiguran, bamboo seedlings were declared planted by the DENR even when they remained in the nursery.

Carranza also questioned the entire framework of the program, saying its name is deceiving. (READ: Is the gov't reforestation program planting the right trees?)

“It is not really a greening program if the framework is to plant what can be harvested. Why doesn’t the DENR plant the native, endemic trees to bring back our forests instead of exotic, fast-growing trees?”

Paje replied by emphasizing that when President Benigno Aquino III approved the program, he did so on the condition that “it be primarily a poverty-alleviating program.”

Hence the planting of exotic, fast-growing trees like cacao, coffee and fuel wood that can be harvested by upland farmers and easily grow back. He added that the DENR is still planting endemic trees like lauan and narra in protected areas. These trees cannot be harvested.

It was Osmeña himself who moved that Carranza wrap up her testimony. The CA panel members then unanimously voted to recommend Paje for confirmation. His confirmation will presented to the plenary on June 11 for finalization. – Rappler.com

Environment Secretary Paje gets CA nod
Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Osmeña admitted that those opposing the confirmation of Paje were overruled by members of the House of Representatives who already wanted to recommend Paje's confirmation.

"Outvoted na ako ng members ng House of Representatives. There were a lot of contradictions. But you know, it's already the end of sessions here and the congressmen wanted to vote on it, and I didn't get a single vote. Para akong lone ranger," he said after the confirmation hearing.

For his part, Paje expressed gratitude to those who voted for him. He said he is happy to finally secure CA committee approval after four years of being bypassed and re-appointed by the Chief Executive.

Paje admitted that the line of questioning thrown against him was focused not on competency. However, he said that the CA has all the right to make the evaluation and decide for the confirmation.

"We call it democracy and we respect the system," said Paje.

During the hearing, Osmeña lost his temper several times while he was questioning Paje over a DMCI project in Bolitoc, Sta Cruz in Zambales.

He admitted that he is very disappointed but at the same time helpless to block the confirmation of Paje.

"Yes, I am disappointed. Wala akong magagawa. They (members of the House) want to vote on it, and I don't want to block the right to vote," Osmeña said.

He also called Paje a liar when the Environment Secretary insisted that the DMCI still has a valid environmental compliance certificate (ECC) to operate in the foreshore area.

Osmeña said it is clearly stated in the provision permit issued to DMCI that the permit given to them expired on January 27, 2009.

"At maliwanag na walang renewal na nangyari but the company is still operating but the DENR (Department of Environment and Natural Resources) is not doing anything to stop them," Osmeña said.

"There's no ECC (environmental compliance certificate), there's no permit but it's ok. What have you done about this?" Osmeña asked Paje.

Paje, for his part, said it was the operator who claimed that their ECC was still valid and that the Philippine Port Authority (PPA) recognizes its "occupancy."

"You always seem to lean over backwards in favor of the operator," Osmeña said.

When asked to comment, Osmeña said he is not satisfied with the answers given by Paje.

"There are many issues. And it’s mostly nahihirapan siyang mag-prevent, you know naman, matagal na itong mga kalokohang ito -- mga illegal mining, black sand minding, illegal quarrying," the senator said.

Earlier, the Environment Secretary was grilled about the government's reforestation program.

The National Greening Program (NGP) is the Aquino administration's biggest environment program, with the goal of planting 1.5 billion trees in 1.5 million hectares by 2016.

So far, the program has planted 392 million trees over 683,482 hectares, according to data from the DENR.

It receives the lion's share of the department's budget – P6.1 billion out of P23.36 billion or around 27 percent.

Osmeña criticized Paje for supposedly failing to implement the government's massive forest rehabilitation program.

"'Yung national greening program naging national browning program. There are many issues. Nahihirapan siyang mag-prevent ng mga kalokohang ito -- mga illegal mining, black sand mining, illegal quarrying," the senator said.

"I don't know. Marami naman kine-question diyan sa Gabinete ni PNOY (President Aquino) who lack the competence but they still back them up. Wala naman tayong magagawa, that's the prerogative of the president. It’s a pity for the country, but what can we do?" Osmena added.

Another oppositor to Paje's confirmation, civil society worker Elizabeth Carranza, accused the Cabinet official of failure to stop corruption in his department.

However, Carranza admitted that she has not personally witnessed any of the department's workers committing corrupt practices.

Other Cabinet officials waiting for the CA's nod include--Energy Secretary Jericho Petilla, Social Welfare and Development Secretary Corazon "Dinky" Soliman and Justice Sectary Leila de Lima.

Soliman's confirmation was already approved by a CA committee last week but de Lima's confirmation is still in rough sailing as she is scheduled to answer more questions from CA members in separate hearings on June 11 before Congress adjourn sine die. (Camille P. Balagtas/Sunnex)

After 4 years, DENR chief Paje finally gets CA panel nod
by ANDREO CALONZO