By Gina Dizon
BONTOC, Mountain Province -- The Episcopal Diocese of Northern Philippines in their recent diocesan convention urged President Rodrigo Duterte to stand firm in his appointment of Environment Sec. Gina Lopez and retain her to bring to realization to good work the her agency is doing to protect the environment.
As of press time, Lopez’s fate as Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources chief is currently under decision of Commission on Appointments.
The diocesan convention supported the order of Lopez to close 23 mining firms and cancel the Mineral Production Sharing Agreements (MPSA) of 75 mining corporations for destroying the watersheds; and allow restoration and rehabilitation of damaged watersheds.
Diocesan participants while they were in favor of the resolution also called for necessary measures by government to ensure livelihood of miners and other employees who shall be laid off from their jobs.
Another resolution was forwarded to be formulated following some comments that it’s not only large scale mining operations destroying the environment but also small scale mining and cement factories.
Meantime, the diocesan convention participants overwhelmingly opposed the death penalty bill as it against the right to life and forwarded their full opposition to extrajudicial killings being done in the war against drugs.