By Atty. Antonio P. Pekas
I had some business to accomplish for a client at the Quezon City Hall last week. Since the DENR was just nearby and my business was done quite early, I decided to go and have a look-see if an old friend was still there (at the DENR) as head of one department. But when I got there, something better got my attention—it was their “People’s Day” where ordinary folks like you and me can go and voice out their concerns on DENR matters. At some point of the affair, I was told, Sec. Gina Lopez would be there later and my concern just might be attended to by her or referred to the right person who would look at the matter.
Of course I had a concern, rather, I had a beef against the DENR that had been festering inside me for many years already. It was about a mining case which we lost on the first level but which we appealed to the DENR Central Office. After all the arguments were said and submitted, the case was deemed submitted for decision. I felt quite confident about the case. Then former Senator Heherson Alvarez was appointed as secretary of the DENR and his boys ordered the reopening of the case so our opponent would be given the chance to introduce additional evidence. I was appalled by the act. The case was already submitted for decision and it was on appeal. You don’t introduce additional evidence on appeal. There was no ground presented to justify it. During the hearing I was almost tempted to throw my briefcase to the fair haired boy of Heherson Alvarez, with whom I just had a shouting match.
Although we ended up winning the case even after they appealed to the Court of Appeals, the brazenness (garapal talaga!) of the act never left me. So when I heard it was a People’s Day, I said, yes! I am one of the people.
So I got in with the multitude inside a hall. Some came all the way from various parts of Mindanao and as far north as Ilocos Sur. A group came from the Visayas, and there I was, from the Cordillera.
When the program started, the moderator revealed that the various undersecretaries or assistant secretaries were there to attend to our concerns and issues, and Sec. Gina Lopez would be there later. He also said that we had the choice to voice out our concerns privately with the assistant secretaries or undersecretaries but we also had the option to voice out what we had in public. I immediately said I would rather do it in public. So I was given the microphone as the first to talk and I made a ball of it. Immediately the “motor” in my system in charge of energizing my peroration kicked in.
I won’t bore you with the details but the gist is, I literally told them with an angry tone that all the undersecretaries or assistant secretaries there should be “killed.” I said, as Du30 said on the PCSO, he was looking for a killer to head it because everybody there was corrupt. So I continued, “the same “killer” attitude should be implemented here at the DENR especially with respect to the undersecretaries and assistant secretaries because of the corruption here.”
Then I raised several issues including the National Greening Program of PNoy which was an utter failure. I told them about the columns of our Estanislao Albano Jr. regarding such but which was never appropriately responded to by the DENR. On this matter, of course, I promised to send them (and Sec. Gina Lopez) copies of said columns and some other matters which I raised.
Perhaps the old officers there were steaming but so was I. It was good they just remained silent until a lady lawyer who was just picked from an NGO and obviously trusted by the DENR secretary assured me they will look into the matter and I responded by promising to send them everything on what I said. Am sure the DENR now will take a serious look at the things I pointed out.
Relieved, I immediately left without waiting for Sec. Gina Lopez who, I would say, is feistily doing a good job there..
Please don’t mistake however my mentioning of the “killer attitude” as an endorsement of extrajudicial killings. What I meant was that every government agency has to have a much, much tougher attitude on corruption and incompetence.
Corruption is so bad in all sectors of society that only a “killer attitude” can make a dent.**
