Environment Secretary Gina Lopez is facing the Commission on Appointments (CA) for the second day on Thursday morning.
She is facing tough opposition from different groups.
They are questioning her competence as well as her technical and scientific knowledge on the environment, particularly in the mining industry.
“I’m not a mining engineer. But I have the passion to protect the country’s environment. I work with experts who conduct mining studies,” Lopez told the CA members.
Earlier, Senator Panfilo Lacson advised Lopez to convince the congressional body that she is fit to hold the DENR post.
“I just don’t want you to suffer the fate of Secretary Yasay,” he warned.
Yasay’s nomination was rejected yesterday by the CA over his lack of full disclosure on his citizenship.
“We know your passion for the environment but some of us want to know your competence,” Senator Manny Pacquiao told Lopez.
Occidental Mindoro Representative and CA member Josephine Ramirez-Sato asked Lopez about the reported review being undertaken by the Mining Industry Coordinating Council (MICC) on her order to close several mining firms.
Lopez said the review is waste of government money since P 50 million will be spent for this purpose.
She said the MICC is just a recommendatory body for government policies and it has no authority to scrutinize department orders.