THE Commission on Appointments yesterday approved the appointments of Agrarian Reform Sec. Conrado Estrella III and Environment Sec. Ma. Antonio Yulo-Loyzaga.
Also approved by the Commission was the promotion of Lt. Col. Cesar Candelaria, of the AFP Medical Corps, to full-fledged colonel despite his pending case over the death of a Philippine Military Academy plebe in 2019.
Before his confirmation, Estrella vowed to accelerate and complete the remaining land acquisition and distribution (LAD) balance of almost 550,000 hectares of agricultural land during the past administration.
Data from DAR showed that the workable balance as of June 30 was 173,344 hectares of land.
Estrella, whose grandfather Conrado Sr. also became DAR secretary during the time of President Marcos Sr., said the department, under his leadership, would prioritize the speedy resolution of legal cases of contested lands.
Records showed more than 4,000 cases pending before the DAR Adjudication Board.
“We will hasten providing agrarian justice so that there would be more titles that can be distributed. Secondly, we will use our network for the validation. And thirdly, we will have enough funds but if you will augment this, we will not refuse,” he said in a mix of Filipino and English.
Estrella said he also plans to “digitalize” the DAR’s information database, empower young farmers, and extend support services for farmers.
He said he is not against land conversion as long as the concerned land is not irrigated, which he said is consistent with the position of President Marcos Jr.
“That is the instruction of the President. If it is irrigated or irrigable, do not convert. If it is in highly-urbanized areas and already ripe for commercial or residential or industrial purposes, which will open up or create additional business and livelihood opportunities for our people, why not?” he added.
The CA approved the appointment of Loyzaga as DENR secretary upon the motion of CA Chairperson and Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri that was seconded by CA panel Chairperson and Senate president pro tempore Loren Legarda and Sen. Risa Hontiveros.
Loyzaga was asked by Rep. Rodante Marcoleta about her inheritance of 34 properties as reflected in her sworn disclosure of business, financial, personal, professional connections, and interests that was submitted to the committee and asked that she “divest” of such properties.
But Sen. Cynthia Villar told Marcoleta that a person cannot divest something that was inherited.
“(That is) inheritance. You cannot divest inheritance,” Villar said.
Marcoleta insisted, however, that Loyzaga’s connections with the 34 entities should still be raised.
Zubiri stepped in, saying that Loyzaga came from a rich family “that’s why I know there will be no corruption, kasi (because) she will never accept a single centavo out of corruption because their family is a family of integrity.
“She comes from a very wealthy family and these are all…none of them of which are ill-gotten. Mana ‘yan from mga ninuno niya (Those were inherited from their forefathers),” Zubiri said.
Loyzaga said she is in favor of small-scale mining “as a means to lift certain populations out of their condition, socio-economically” but the department needs to “strengthen our capacity to observe, to evaluate the environment impacts of these activities at the local level.”
She said the DENR has initially held a dialogue with the Department of the Interior and Local Government on the monitoring of small-scale mining activities “in order for us to be able to maintain some integrity in the ecosystem despite the necessity of this activity being made available to communities.”
She said there are 50 Minahang Bayan which are presently recognized by the DENR, adding the department will review the approval of other small-scale mining since only 50 were approved after the Small-Scale Mining Act was passed 31 years ago.
Villar cautioned Loyzaga that small-scale mining may be used as a front by big mining companies.
Candelaria was among the 63 Flag Officers and senior officers of the armed forces whose appointments were deliberated upon by the CA panel.
Hontiveros said Candelaria should be exempted in the list of confirmed promotions due to his inclusion in the death of Cadet 4th Class Darwin Dormitorio, which prompted the panel to suspend the hearing.
When hearing resumed, Rep. Jurdin Jesus Romualdo, CA panel chairperson, said the committee always considers the manifestations of its members to any appointments but after a short discussion, Hontiveros said she considered “further converting that into a motion to defer that one appointment.
“But out of consideration to the appeal of the (committee chairperson Rep. Jurdin Romualdo), I will simply leave my non-seconding of his confirmation on the record as a clear and strong sign to the Dormitorio family who is still pursuing justice for their son, and also as a clear signal and desire that such a death may never happen again,” Hontiveros said.
Candelaria was the commanding officer of the PMA Station Hospital where Dormitorio became its frequent patient due to physical injuries he sustained from the maltreatment of upper classmen until his death on September 18, 2019.
Prosecutors included Candelaria in the case after he and other hospital officials allegedly “grossly failed to provide adequate medical care to Dormitorio which later caused his death.”
