Manny Pangilinan Calls Gina Lopez “Elephant In The Room”

Manny Pangilinan reacts to Gina Lopez’s DENR appointment.

Businessman Manny Pangilinan reacted to Gina Lopez’s appointment as the next Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Chief.

See Also: ABS-CBN’s Gina Lopez Officially Accepts DENR Post

In an interview with ABS-CBN News, Pangilinan said that he respect the decision of incoming president Rodrigo Duterte to appoint an anti-mining advocate to lead the agency.

“The elephant in the room is Gina Lopez, I apologize for the comparison but let me say this, it’s entirely the prerogative of the president and we respect that,” he was quoted saying.

Manny Pangilinan is the chairman of Philex Mining Corporation, the country’s mining company.

According to Pangilinan, the government needs to push for responsible mining to boost the economy of the country.

On Tuesday, Lopez accepted Duterte’s offer to become his DENR secretary. She is known for her environment and mining advocacies.

In an interview with Inquirer, Lopez stressed that she is open to suggestions from pro-mining advocates. She also addressed the issue of mining activities.

“We cannot and we must not build an economy based on suffering,” she said.

Gina Lopez is the current chairman of ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation. She is known for her work in rehabilitating Pasig River through the “Kapit Bisig Para Sa Ilog Pasig” program.

She is also the daughter of ABS-CBN Network chairman emeritus Eugenio Lopez Jr.

It can be remembered that Gina Lopez had a heated exchange with Manny Pangilinan during a “Conference On Mining Impact on Philippine Economy and Ecology” in 2012.