Sen. Panfilo Lacson on Sunday confronted critics and declared that he had been ready and willing to defend his Commission of Appointments (CA) vote against Regina "Gina" Lopez as Environment Secretary, but he had refrained from doing so during the CA vote as it would have needlessly embarrassed Lopez.
"Yan ba naman dedetalye ko pa ba? Kung bakit, sa aking pananaw 'di qualified ang appointee? Papahiyain mo pa, na-reject na?" Lacson argued on Super Radyo dzBB.
The CA voted against Lopez heading the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, 16 to eight, last May 3, with Lacson among those who voted against President Rodrigo Duterte's choice for DENR secretary.
"I was tempted, nakahanda ako sa explanation ng boto ko. Gusto ko tumayo pero para ano pa? Ni-reject mo na, hihiyain mo pa? Hindi mo maiwasan ilabas mo ang dahilan bakit ka bumoto to reject," Lacson elaborated further.
He explained that among the matters that he would have mentioned, if he had been pressed to defend his vote, was a 1975 Supreme Court case in which Lopez filed a habeas corpus petition after her mother moved to have her committed to a drug rehabilitation facility.
"Halimbawa naka-ready ako GR-L-38850, babanggitin ko yan, magkakahiyaan," said Lacson. "Kasi pag binasa mo ang SC ruling na yan, jurisprudence ito lumabas noong 1975, nagbo-border sa may binabanggit doon na drug dependency or personality disorder."
Graft allegations
The senator would also have touched on the graft allegations against Lopez, stemming from the supposed fast-tracking of a Renewable Energy Service Contract in behalf of Jean-Philippe Albert Guy Henry's company - Ecoglobal Inc.
"Halimbawa, kung mag-explain ako, babanggitin ko sino ba si Jean-Philippe Henry? 'Di ba siya lumabas sa hearing, pero 'di na ni-rub in, 'di na kinunan ng detalye, kasi magkakahiyaan?" said Lacson.
"Anyway public record ito. Siya (Henry) ang CEO ng Eco Global at sa... record ng OMB may nag-complain. Sumagot meron siyang letter confirmation sa French embassy sa Manila. Sinasabi niya roon na parang letter of guarantee issue sa French embassy sa Manila, sinasagot niya lahat na gastos sa biyahe ni Ms. Lopez papunta Paris, airfare, hotel accommodation, insurance and travel allowances. At saka limang member ng party."
‘Sarado ang utak’
Lacson also criticized Lopez for declaration during a CA hearing that the entire country was a critical watershed area. "Ang sinabi ng batas, 'di pwede magmina sa critical watershed areas. Ang pangalawang araw na tinanong siya, 'di niya alam ibig sabihin ng critical watershed area, 'di niya ma-define. Ang sabi niya, buong Pilipinas critical watershed area," explained the senator.
It was this kind of attitude that prompted Lacson to characterize Lopez as having "authoritarian tendencies."
"Yan ang sinasabi natin. Ang mahirap dito ang mga bumabanat sa amin, ito ang 'di nakaintindi na nadala ng propaganda, o ayaw talaga umintindi. Kasi sarado ang utak nila," Lacson argued. "Masarap pakinggan na passion, lumalaban para sa social justice, ang Constitution laging binabasa."
"Pero ang Constitution, ito ang nagpo-provide ng delimitation... [I]t is not for Ms. Lopez to declare na ito labag sa batas. Ang nag-interpret ng batas, SC, under a democracy. Kaya sabi ko may pagka-authoritarian kasi sa demokrasya ang executive yan ang nag-e-execute," he emphasized.
"'Di pwedeng sa isang tao ang siyang nagsasabing ito dapat ang batas, ito interpretation ko ng batas, ito ang Constitution. 'Di pupuwede."
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