Aquino: No DENR post for Acosta

A possible political squabble has prevented President Benigno Aquino III from appointing defeated senatorial candidate Nereus Acosta to the top post of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. "Dun sa Environment secretary, malaki ang tendency na magkakaroon ng away ng pulitika, madi-distract sa trabaho niya," Aquino said at a press briefing Thursday night after his meeting with Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva. Aquino is in Thailand for a two-day state visit. He left the Philippines Thursday morning and is expected to return to the country Friday afternoon. Acosta will instead be given a Cabinet rank but with different title, which Aquino has yet to finalize. "Malamang Cabinet rank. yung formal title niya ikaklaro muna natin, yung position created specifically for him," Aquino said. The DENR is currently headed by Secretary Ramon Paje in an acting capacity. Acosta is one of several Liberal Party candidates who lost in the senatorial race during the May 2010 polls. The ban on appointing defeated candidates in last year's polls to government posts lapsed on May 11. Ecological, environmental concerns At the press briefing, Aquino said Acosta will be tasked to coordinate with the ecological and environmental concerns. Acosta will also be asked to attend meetings on behalf of the President. He cited that in the implementation of the Clean Air Act, there is a need for various departments such as the DENR, Department of Interior and Local Government and Department of Social Welfare and Development to coordinate. "Siya papasok dun. Babawasan yung kailangan kong (attend-an na) meetings. Kasama nya ung mga stakeholder... pwede nyang babaran, ang dulo nun siguradong coherent ang implementation ng mga policy na nangyayari. Siya [ang] nakatutok as far as ecological and environmental concerns," the President explained. Aquino believed that Acosta would be able to help him have a better and sharper focus on environmental issues because the latter would be able to tackle it in a more in-depth manner. Smear campaign? Acosta had earlier complained of a supposed "well-financed smear campaign" launched against him. He said the smear campaign was staged against him "because I am being considered by President Aquino for the portfolio of the Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources." "Via full-page ads and other media, they publicized an old worn-out charge filed against me 10 years ago by my political rivals when I was a congressman of Bukidnon," he said in a press statement issued on May 11. Acosta said many public officials have pending cases before various courts and it is not an indication of guilt. He said he promised President Aquino that he would clean up the "well-placed mafia groups that are embedded in the DENR from the issuance of fake land patents resulting to big land scams to the questionable grants of mining and logging permits." Paje, Robredo, Roxas On the fate of Paje and Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo, Aquino said that it is most likely that they will be appointed in a permanent capacity. Robredo also heads the DILG in an acting capacity. "Malamang perpermant na natin silang dalawa ni Paje. There might be some changes, we still have to work on some details. I will have to talk to the two secretaries, (there) might be shift in terms of responsibilities. I’m not ready to say who it is," he said. On the appointment of his defeated running mate Manuel Roxas II, Aquino said the former has already been helping his administration but the administrative order for his assumption of office has yet to be finalized. "He (Roxas) has been actually helping us already pero wala pa yung formal assumption of office. I wanted to side off on the delineation, nag-uusap sila lahat, ano ibabahagi sa kanya, ano ma-maintain...parte ng political side, meron konting functions of PMS (Presidential Management Staff) na kukunin din nya tapos at any other assignments," he said. The President added that Roxas and Executive Secretary Pacquito Ochoa Jr. were also discussing the delineation of responsibilities. — RSJ, GMA News