Gina Lopez told to answer graft raps before Ombudsman

The Office of the Ombudsman has ordered Environment Secretary Gina Lopez to comment on the graft complaint filed against her over her alleged role in the "fast-tracking" of the a recycling firm's Renewable Energy Service Contract with the Department of Energy.

In an order promulgated on April 17, the Ombudsman directed Lopez and Jean-Philippe Albert Guy Henry, founder and chief executive officer of recycling firm Ecoglobal Inc., to submit their counter-affidavit, affidavits of their witnesses and other controverting evidence within 10 days from receipt of the order.

"Failure to file counter-affidavits within the aforesaid period shall be deemed a waiver of respondents' right to submit controverting evidence, and the preliminary investigation shall proceed accordingly," the order read.

The graft complaint against Lopez and Henry was filed Vienna Tañada, former business development officer of Ecoglobal, Inc.

She alleged that Lopez pressured DOE director Mario Marasigan in the processing of the firm's RESC for a solar farm project in Zamboanga City.

"Given the amount of influence that Sec. Lopez has over the entire process, I felt that it would therefore not be proper for her to be directly dealing with Mr. Henry and influencing the DOE for the processing of the application for an RESC as this will put doubts on her impartiality in relation to the transaction, especially that she will, in the future, be directly involved in the expansion plans that Ecoglobal has that she is fully aware of," the graft complaint read.

Tañada also said Lopez received pecuniary benefit from Ecoglobal when she went on an all-expense paid trip to Paris, France in October 2016, all while the RESC application was pending.

"It is of no doubt that the trip was given to Sec. Lopez as a favor for helping Ecoglobal obtain the approval of the RESC application," her complaint read.

Sought for comment, Lopez claimed that she was indeed invited to France by the French government.

"I wanted to push for renewable energy in my DENR convergence sites where I wanted a climate change culture," Lopez told GMA News Online in a text message.

"I had already discussed this with [Energy] Sec. [Alfonso] Cusi that I wanted to push for alternative energy and he agreed as long as it is off grid. So how can I ask the French government [for] help?" she added.

Lopez claimed Ecoglobal promised to help her in getting solar energy power, and French officials agreed to help her in a Pasig River project.

The environment secretary also confirmed calling Marasigan, but only to follow up on the project "because he was taking so long."

"[The] French government project in Zamboanga... has done [all] the papers and the time limit is 45 days and [it's] already ten months and nothing has happened," Lopez said.

"If it's yes, yes. If it's no, no. But ten months? When the one-time limit is 45 days?" she added.

Lopez said the recent development in the complaint was a "push" as her confirmation hearing before the Commission on Appointments is scheduled on Tuesday.

"They are trying to look for holes to punch," she said.

Apart from this, the Chamber of Mines of the Philippines (COMP) also filed a complaint against Lopez for allegedly causing “undue injury” to the mining companies she ordered suspended or closed.

In January, a complaint was also filed against Lopez over her supposed inaction on allegations about a faulty air monitoring system in use since 2006. —NB, GMA News