While it is true that some students from the University of the Philippines, along with miners, held a rally in DENR and talked to DENR Secretary Gina Lopez, Okd2.com claimed that the entire DENR called them “bastos” during their talks.
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Facebook page “Philippine Government Under Scrutiny” shared the article on their page, earning 140 shares and almost 250 reactions, as of writing.
According to okd2.com, DENR officials called the UP students “bastos” (rude) after the students allegedly did not let Lopez speak properly as they pelted her with questions one after the other.
The article even named certain officials from the agency, such as Marcelo Macaraig and Atty. Hilda Cordova, with Macaraig labeling UP students as “bastos” and “walang modo” as they focus more on holding protests instead of focusing on their studies.
Cordova allegedly blamed UP for always being the one to cause problems in society because of the students’ lack of respect. He also accused these student activists to be hatching a plan to go into politics someday, which was why they are doing everything to get themselves known now.
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We tried to confirm this story from Okd2, but only learned that there was indeed a news report about Lopez holding a dialogue with the UP students and miners, those who are affected by the suspension order against more than 20 mining firms found to be violating the environmental laws.
According to GMA News Online, Lopez let the group of students from UP and Adamson University enter DENR’s premises to start a dialogue with them. However, some of the students decided to interrupt her while talking.
One student asked, “According po sa law ma’am there is a separation ng agricultural land and mineral land. Is that an ecotourism land?”
Lopez then started to talk and asked the group to let her do so.
“You’re gonna ask me questions and I can’t talk and when I’m talking you intervene. Now, is that fair? Let me talk,” Lopez was quoted as saying.
She went on to say, “Is that bastos or is that bastusan? What do you want me to do? Do you want me to bring a whole roomload of documents here for you to see? Why don’t you go there to see it?”
The protesters in question tried to clarify their manner of questioning Lopez, saying that they kept intervening because the Cabinet Secretary’s responses were not really answers.
Lopez promised to “create an alternative economy” similar to her successful projects in Palawan and Yolanda communities, which are earning P30 million annually an initial investment of P1 million.
Okd2’s claims about DENR officials labelling UP students as “bastos” is not true. Something about them being rude during their dialogue with Lopez was mentioned, but no other high-ranking DENR officials were involved. It was merely a fictional claim on Okd2’s part, just like what they did with many of their other stories – cover facts then insert false claims.
Source: (gmanetwork.com)
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