Confirmation of DENR chief deferred anew

(Updated 4:46 p.m.) For the second time this month, a Commission on Appointments (CA) panel has deferred recommending the confirmation of Ramon Paje as secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). On Wednesday, the CA environment committee decided to suspend hearing the appointment of Paje after discussing issues regarding his nomination for more than five hours. Last August 10, the CA environment committee had also deferred recommending Paje for confirmation due to time constraints. Among the oppositors who presented their cases against Paje were Zamboanga del Sur Gov. Antonino Cerilles, Datu Dr. Felipe Nasayao, Datu Teodoro Nasayo, Reynaldo Rodis, Rogelio Casasola, and Fr. Pedro Montallana. But Sen. Francis Escudero, who presided over the hearing, said there are more oppositors against Paje's confirmation. "May ilan pa at bibigyang daan yan ng Commission on Appointments, partikular ng committee on evironments para mabigyang daan at mapakinggan ang bawat isa requirement yan ng due process at tsaka para mabigyang pagkakataon din si Sec. Paje na sagutin at bigyang linaw ang lahat ng ito," Escudero told reporters after the hearing. "Ayaw naman naming putulin dahil lmang nagmamadali kami, ayaw naming masabi yun kaya sinusupindi namin lagi hanggang mapakinggan lahat ng oppositors," he added. The senators noted, however, that most of the oppositors do not necessarily have anything against Paje himself. "Wala namang glaring [na] laban kay Sec. Paje. Karamihan ng kanilang oppositions ay patungkol sa mga nagdaang panahon bago pa maging kalihim si Sec. Paje subalit dahil nandun na siya sa departamento ng mahabnag panahon sa iba't-ibang kapasidad ay naitituro sa kanya yung ilang bagaman siya ang may hawak ng manibela nun ika nga at sa pananaw ko di naman ito pwede isisi, o sisihin siya," he said. "Dahil kapag pinag-usapan ang kalikasan, isa ito sa mga sektor ng lipunan na maraming active na NGO at people's organizations at yung interes naman talaga sa departamento ito ay nagbabanggaan," he added. — RSJ, GMA News