Nagpahayag ng pasasalamat si Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Gina Lopez kay Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte kaugnay ng pagsuporta ng huli sa anti-mining campaign ng Kalihim laban sa mga pasaway na kumpanya ng minahan sa bansa.

“In the plane already… want to say one more thing… that I am deeply and profoundly touched by the support of the President. This is what I know of the man. He is the real thing. It’s not plastic at all. He deeeeeply cares for our people… and he deeeeeply cares for the country,” ang bahagi ng pahayag ni Lopez na kanyang ibinahagi sa kanyang Facebook account.

Ito ay kasunod ng deklarasyon ni Duterte na “kaya namang mabuhay ng bansa (Pilipinas) kahit walang bilyun-bilyong kita nito mula sa industriya ng pagmimina.”

“I have to support Lopez and I cannot help you. Let me just add that all you contribute to the country is about 70 billion in taxes. We can live without it… I’ll get the 70 billion from somewhere else and preserve the environment.

72 PDL's ng Manila City Jail, naka-enrol sa PUP Open University

If you have something against Gina Lopez, kindly rethink. Look at her passion… She’s not interested in their money and she is just doing it like what a Cabinet member should do,” diin ng Pangulo.

Samantala, hindi optimistiko ang mga liderato ng Kamara na aayunan ng Commission on Appointments (CA) si Lopez, binanggit ang kanya umanong “arbitrary” policies, at kakulangan sa kakayahan na pamunuan ang ahensiya.

Ayon kay Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, sa tingin niya ay maba-bypass si Lopez hindi lamang dahil sa kakulangan sa oras, kundi dahil hindi ito handang pamunuan ang DENR.

“She (Lopez) still has a lot of learning to do. She needs to understand the dynamics of government and the difference between the private sector. She cannot just do things in government as fast as doing it in the private sector,” aniya.

“She (Lopez) had a hard time answering the issues of the oppositors. She will be bypassed. The issue is not her personal pro-environment advocacy but the issues surrounding her management style, arbitrary policies, and corrupt advisers behind her,” sabi pa ni Barbers.

“If she will not be able to answer & satisfy the issues raised, I think she will be bypassed.”

(Rommel Tabbad at Charissa M. Luci)