Senator Loren Legarda, a known environment champion in the Upper Chamber, remains confident the Philippines will ratify the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.
Legarda said it is "unfair or rash" to judge that the country will not ratify the pact or blame the delay on President Rodrigo Duterte, when only 10 of the 33 government agencies required to submit their certificates of concurrence have done so.
"When the 23 remaining agencies of government have put it together through the Climate Change Commission, then the Office of the President, the Executive Secretary can give their legal opinion," she explained on ANC's Headstart.
After the President approves it, she said the agreement will have to go to the Senate for debate before they issue their certificate of concurrence.
Although the pact takes effect on Friday, Legarda maintained that even if the Philippines ratifies it a day or a week after, "we will be part of this global, historic agreement."
"I am optimistic that everyone in government will see the importance of being part of the discussions, to be able to access the technical and financial assistance, and to know that our 70% reductions of greenhouse emissions are pegged or contingent or dependent on technical and financial [assistance]," she said.
She said she had reached out to the departments and agencies, giving them memoranda and briefers on the issue and discussing it during committee hearings, and "they’re unanimous in agreement with the ratification of the Agreement. There’s [where] my confidence is coming from."
Among them were Cabinet secretaries like Gina Lopez of Environment and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Piñol of Agriculture, Benjamin Diokno of Budget, and Ernesto Pernia of the National Economic Development Authority, according to Legarda.
"I’m not only hopeful; I am optimistic and confident because I see the background," she said, citing that less than a month after the Philippines signed the agreement in April, an election was held in May; then a new government came into office in July, with new Cabinet members appointed in August.
The Climate Change Commission, then, only began getting the certificates of concurrence from all the 33 government departments in September and October.
"It’s a matter of really giving the president the complete staff work—giving him the papers, seeing the legal opinion of his lawyers, getting the concurrence of the agencies of government," she said.
"I am certain he’s (Duterte) sincere, he wants what’s good for the people and he’s just batting for climate justice," she added.
SOURCE: ABS-CBN
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