The Employers Confederation of the Philippines has backed the installation of Raphael "Popoy" Lotilla as secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, replacing Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga.

“Lotilla is a good choice for DENR after his second stint as DOE secretary. His Master’s in law will serve him well as DENR secretary as many environmental matters involve legal issues,” ECOP chairperson Edgardo Lacson told DAILY TRIBUNE.

Lacson backed the outgoing Energy secretary for his clean record as a public servant, even as he faced backlash after being hit with a criminal complaint under Republic Act No. 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, and an administrative complaint for grave misconduct and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service at the Office of the Ombudsman last year for violating the coal moratorium in favor of a power firm where he served previously as board member.

During his long career in both government and the academe, Lotilla had served as executive director of the Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia, an international organization for coastal and ocean governance, according to Lacson.

Challenging Lotilla

Environmental advocates, on the other hand, called on Lotilla to prioritize protection of the country’s key biodiversity areas.

“We urge secretary Lotilla to uphold the DENR’s mandate to protect our environment. This includes protection of critical biodiversity areas that are confronting threats, including the Verde Island Passage (VIP),” said Father Edwin Gariguez, lead convenor of Protect VIP.

Loyzaga’s term witnessed one of the country’s biggest environmental crises, the oil spill in Oriental Mindoro, which devastated parts of the VIP and paralyzed the livelihoods of its communities.

“Secretary Lotilla can learn much from the shortcomings during Secretary Yulo-Loyzaga’s term. We challenge him to take this as an opportunity to strengthen the DENR’s approaches in addressing environmental crises, starting with long-term rehabilitation of the still unresolved oil spill in Oriental Mindoro, and imposing the most stringent standards against pollution in the VIP and other biodiversity hotspots,” he added.

Gariguez maintained that while they recognize Lotilla’s background as a former energy secretary, his new role as DENR secretary requires that he prioritize the protection of the country’s critical ecosystems.

“It is Secretary Lotilla’s task to place environmental integrity above the interests of the destructive energy industry, while advocating for a just transition to sustainable energy from renewables,” Gariguez added.

Experts, civil society organizations, local communities, and government actors — including the DENR under Secretary Yulo-Loyzaga — have also been calling for the Verde Island Passage to be granted protection under the Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System (ENIPAS) Act.

“As Secretary Lotilla begins his term as Environment Secretary, we urge him to follow Yulo-Loyzaga’s endorsement and finally move towards officially designating the VIP as a protected seascape,” Gariguez concluded.