Episcopal Church supports DENR’s Lopez, closure of 23 mining firms

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.