Alvarez confirmation off to rough start

Fireworks came a day late of Chinese new year but none too soon for Environmental and Natural Resources Secretary Heherson Alvarez, whose first day of hearings for his confirmation by the Commission on Appointments signaled a long drawn affair.

At his first confirmation hearing, Alvarez lashed at those blocking his appointment, saying they became his enemies because of his drive to weed out corruption at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and to establish "a high moral standard."

He claimed that because of his drive, he made enemies who are now waging a "well-funded campaign of vilification" against him in the media.

Former Director Peter Anthony Abaya of the DENR Environment and Management Bureau, opposed Alvarez’s confirmation, saying the latter was not fit to head the department.

Abaya, son of Cavite Rep. Plaridel Abaya, claimed that Alvarez booted him out of the department and subjected him to harassment, including the filing of "concocted charges."

Alvarez tried to turn the tables on Abaya, saying he was holding the latter responsible for the "illegal" increase in the importation of ozone-depleting substances, contrary to the Montreal Protocol of which the Philippine is a signatory.

Alvarez claimed that Abaya tried to justify the "increase" by a footnote Abaya had "inserted" in the department administrative order on chemical control. He also charged that Abaya coursed the importation of the ozone-depleting substances through unregistered firms, and at P300-million overprices.

"The young man has to answer these charges before the proper court, instead of asking this body to exonerate him," he said.

Sen. Ramon Magsaysay Jr., chairman of the CA committee on natural resources, said that Abaya will continue his testimony at the confirmation, as well as industrialist Enrique Zobel, the Manila City council and a group of congressmen from Mindanao and Southern Tagalog.

However, a Mindanao congressman told The STAR that he signed the petition of concern over the degradation of Mt. Diwalwal without knowing that it would be submitted to the CA. He said that a number of the signatories in the petition, prepared by Surigao Rep. Prospero Pichay, had also signed a petition endorsing Alvarez.

Sen. Robert Barbers, who is from Surigao, said that the petition of Mindanao congressmen would not affect his vote on Alvarez’s confirmation.

"Even the commission is divided on this issue," he said.

The Manila City council is opposing Alvarez after the latter stopped the use of Mehan Garden as a campus for the Manila City Colleges. Alvarez said the conversion of the garden into a campus would have resulted in the chopping down of centuries-old trees.

Zobel, on the other hand, is opposing Alvarez’s approval of some Industrial Forest Management Agreement and the latter’s management of some projects covered by a $220-million grant. Zobel claimed in an affidavit that there was also a conflict of interest as one of the projects was being implemented by the Earth Savers Movement, a non-government organization founded by Alvarez.

Alvarez said he expected the fireworks in yesterday’s hearing. He said he was glad that these came out because it gave him the opportunity to meet them head-on. A member of the CA for 12 years, Alvarez said he expected to be subjected to the same strict but objective scrutiny he would have accorded any candidate for the DENR post. — Efren Danao