|
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
Speak out: New DENR chief
By Sen. aquilino pimentel
The government seems to be in danger of falling short of its responsibility to protect and preserve the country’s forest, marine and other natural resources with President Arroyo’s decision to appoint a secretary of environment and natural resources who does not have any background, much less, an interest in this area of government concern.
Secretary Angelo Reyes, newly-appointed head of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), may be the wrong man for the job, leaving the enormous task of preventing environmental degradation uncertain.
It is an open secret that Reyes preferred to stay as secretary of interior and local government because he is more at home there and did not like to be transferred to the DENR where he felt he may be ineffective because it is a strange field to him.
Explanation
President Arroyo owes the public an explanation why she placed Reyes, a military man, as environment secretary when ideally and by tradition, this position should be held by a person who is an environmentalist by training and inclination.
There are indications that Reyes’ assignment to the DENR is a product of accommodation in view of Malacañang’s decision to replace him with Antipolo Rep. Ronaldo Puno at the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).
The Palace wants Puno to take over the helm of the DILG so that the administration can make use of his expertise as a “political operator” par excellence in mobilizing the local government chief executives for the forthcoming launch of the people’s initiative for Charter Change, the main aim of which is to perpetuate Arroyo in power despite doubts over her legitimacy.
The appointment of Reyes is not a product of a carefully thought-out idea to maximize the benefits from utilization of natural resources or strictly implement environmental safeguards, especially in the face of expanded mining operations by foreign mining companies.
On the contrary, Reyes was transferred to the DENR as a fallback position after he rejected the Palace’s plan to appoint him ambassador to Washington D.C.
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (February 7, 2006 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board.Click here. |
|
[return to top]
[home]
[network page]
|
LOCAL NEWS
BUSINESS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFESTYLE
FEATURE
SUPERBALITA
WEEKEND
|
