Gina Lopez wants to work with NPA in mining sites

Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Gina Lopez on Thursday said she will work with the New People's Army (NPA) in Agusan province to establish an Ecological, Economic and Educational (E3) zone in communities around mining sites.

"I already asked the President if I can work with the NPA. We can't market the place if there's fighting ... We might have a situation where miners work with the NPA," Lopez said during the Asia CEO forum at Manila Marriott Hotel.

"They just really want to get people out of poverty. They’re really not bad people. The reason that they’re fighting is because they’re not happy with the government," she said.

Lopez said they are working on an area development plan for the entire Agusan province.

The Cabinet official noted the concept is to get the NPA and local governments to stop fighting in order for the economy to grow.

"Because I wanna do Agusan ... But whatever you do there, if there’s NPA there, you cannot lift up the economy. So they agreed not to fight. And then we lift up the whole area," she added.

"We’ll work together … We’re doing an area development plan for the entire Agusan, where they (NPAs) are. And they will give inputs to that area development plan ... Then together we can sit with the government, with the NPA, and then we put in the money," she said. — VDS, GMA News