Paje calls environmental ombudsman a centerpiece of Morales crusade

Tuesday, 17 July 2012 16:13 |

Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Ramon J. P. Paje has lauded the reactivation of the office of the Environmental Ombudsman, stressing the move has given the citizens’ environmental rights a more prominent position in the Aquino administration’s crusade against graft and corruption.

“By resurrecting the office of the Environmental Ombudsman, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales has made, in one stroke, protecting the citizens’ environmental rights a centerpiece of her agency’s mission,” Paje said.

Reiterating his gratitude for the Ombudsman’s “display of political will to enforce environmental laws,” Paje said the reactivation of an environmental team by Morales “has taken the next step further in building institutional support within the bureaucracy to DENR’s initiatives for environmental justice.”

Around 26 lawyers of the Ombudsman’s Office have been put together to act as investigators and prosecutors pursuant to an existing memorandum of agreement between the Office of the Ombudsman and the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) forged in 2004 to monitor government officials’ compliance in implementing the country’s environmental laws and policies.

“This move is indeed a huge step in this Administration’s strides to transform the nation’s attitude toward environmental citizenship,” said Paje.

Under the agreement, the Environmental Ombudsman will closely keep an eye on citizens' complaints on violations of environmental laws while the IBP shall act as the receiver of complaints and reports on violations of environmental laws.

In the event that the concerned public officials refuse or fail to take appropriate action, IBP will forward the matter to the Environmental Ombudsman. The IBP will also provide active legal assistance to the Ombudsman’s prosecutors.

The agreement also provides a link-up by the Ombudsman team and IBP with other government law enforcement agencies, such as the Philippine National Police, the National Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Justice.

Paje noted that the clout of the Environmental Ombudsman likewise covers elected and appointed public officials suspected of being remiss in their duties resulting in the violation of environmental laws or non-implementation of Philippine environmental standards.

“Backed with a stronger legal muscle and shield, this is a welcome help especially to our DENR field workers as they are now better positioned to take a stronger stand against antagonistic interests at work in the field,” Paje stressed.

EnvironmentNatural Resources Secretary Ramon J. P. Paje rallied last week his field officials to ensure the success of the National Greening Program, saying the program has full support of the President.

“There is no reason to fail considering that President Aquino has amply given all the support this program (NGP) needs to succeed,” Paje told the regional executive directors (REDs), regional technical directors, and the provincial and community environment and natural resources officers (PENROs, CENROs) attending the 2-day National Convention of Field Officers held May 31-June 1, 2011 at the DENR Social Hall in Quezon City.

Paje also challenged the field officials “to give their best shot” as their performance in implementing the NGP will be “highly taken into consideration’ in the evaluation of officials for promotions.

“Those who will be performing will be rewarded. Wala pong biro yan,” Paje said, stressing that the field officers will be evaluated fairly based on a purely-merit system “without regard for personal ties or past associations” he has made through over 20 years at the DENR where he started his career as a casual forester.

Paje said the NGP-driven performance-based incentive scheme will first zero in on the PENRO and CENRO positions, with an instruction to DENR Assistant Secretary for Management and Finance Corazon Davis to reserve the vacant PENRO and CENRO posts as rewards for NGP’s top performers especially those that are on an acting capacity.

“If you are a CENRO, you will automatically become a PENRO. Those who are not yet full-pledged CENRO (with temporary appointment), we will make you full-pledged CENROs. Performance lamang, wala nang iba,” Paje stressed.

Of the 168 CENRO plantilla positions, 47 have yet to be filled; while 25 remain vacant in the 73 PENRO plantilla posts.

The incentive scheme forms part of Paje’s overall program to strengthen DENR’s performance-based promotion system to beef up the national leadership’s efforts in professionalizing the Philippine bureaucracy.

But Paje was quick to clarify that the quality of their performance will be determined by the survival of the seedling declared in their performance and not merely on the number of seedling planted.

“Remember, the NGP is a national priority program of President Aquino, and this is not for show but for grow. Gone are the days when tree planting activities were just to set world records or just for photo opportunities,” Paje noted.

At the same time, Paje asked “doubting Thomases” to be forthcoming this early with their hesitation to go all out to meet their targets to allow for management to act appropriately in their particular case.

“We will make sure that everybody performs. Kung sino sa inyo ang tingin ay hindi kayang ipatupad ang programang ito, sabihin na ninyo ngayon,” Paje said.

The performance-based incentive will be based on the field officials’ scorecard in the yearly targets given them and will be validated with the use of state-of-the art technology such as satellite mapping and internet-based technology through NGP’s website at the www.ngp.denr.gov.ph

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