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MILITANT
legislators opposed the government’s plan to take over
the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), branding it as a
political move to deprive the Lopezes of their prime
economic holding, in retaliation for the latter’s
perceived support, through its influential media outfit
ABS-CBN network, of popular opposition to the
administration.
In a
news conference, Party-list Reps. Teodoro Casiño and
Satur Ocampo of Bayan Muna; Crispin Beltran of Anakpawis;
and Liza Maza and Luzviminda Ilagan of Gabriela said the
planned takeover runs counter to President Arroyo’s
declared and consistently pursued policy to privatize
the power sector.
“Although we have batted for state control of the
industry to safeguard public interest, we look askance
at this volte-face as highly dubious, to say the least,”
the legislators said.
They
said the Arroyo administration seems to be taking the
route once used by the Marcos martial-law government
that virtually confiscated Meralco from the Lopezes in
the 1970s.
“The
Arroyo cabal in government has seized the opportunity to
corner a new milking cow while they are in power in the
guise of pursuing ‘transparency and accountability’ in
Meralco’s operations,” they said.
“Given
the notoriety of the Arroyo government in misusing funds
for private gains and involvement in questionable fund
deals, taking over Meralco will only worsen the already
highly problematic power sector,” the legislators added.
Relatedly, Nationalista Party Rep. Teofisto Guingona III
of Bukidnon sought the immediate privatization of the
government-owned National Power Corp. (Napocor) so that
electric rates would become reasonable.
“The
solution to high electricity rates is genuine
competition among private generation companies in a
regime of free and fair competition on a level playing
field. Privatize Napocor, and electricity rates will be
reasonable,” said Guingona.
The
solution, he said is to implement the Electric Power
Industry Reform Act (Epira) of 2001, which mandates that
by 2009, 70 percent of Napocor-owned or -controlled
electric-generating capacity should be privatized.
“One of
the purposes of Epira was to ensure affordability of
supply of electric power, as well as transparent and
reasonable rates, through a regime of free and fair
competition. Today, seven years after Epira has become a
law, Napocor still owns or controls 70 percent of
generating capacity. Prior to Epira, it owned or
controlled 95 percent of generating capacity. This means
that it took it seven years to privatize 25 percent.
This is obviously too slow,” Guingona said.
“That is
where the cause of high electric rates lies:
monopolistic dominance of Napocor of the generation of
electricity. The evil of this monopolistic dominance is
obvious,” he added.
As the
energy sector is getting restless, Speaker Prospero
Nograles gave marching orders to the House Committee on
Energy to conduct marathon sessions and expedite the
passage of various measures that would protect the
public and the consumers from the spiraling cost of fuel
and electricity.
Nograles,
in a statement, said he also asked the chairman of House
energy committee, headed by the President’s son, Lakas
Rep. Mikey Arroyo of Pampanga, to immediately convene
his committee to avert the effects of the looming energy
problem caused primarily by the fuel situation in the
world market.
Nograles
said the latest round of price increase of fuel and the
recent petition of Meralco to increase rates by 67.17
centavos per kilowatt-hour is aggravating the economic
difficulties now being experienced by most Filipinos
owing to the high cost of food and other basic
commodities.
Nograles
said he specifically tasked the energy committee to find
a quick and effective solution to the increasing cost of
energy, “both in crafting or amending laws or in the
effective implementation of existing energy laws.”
Meanwhile, Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay, United Opposition
president, said the apparent “power-play squeeze” being
applied against the Lopez family and Meralco was another
ploy by Malacañang to blame the private sector for her
administration’s obvious failure to implement the
necessary reforms in the power sector and keep the cost
of electricity down.
“Seven
years after the enactment of Epira, the Arroyo
administration has failed to privatize power utilities
necessary to reform the energy sector and keep the cost
of electricity within the reach of the poor,” Binay
said.
“Instead
of properly identifying the Napocor as the obvious
culprit, President Arroyo deviously deflects the blame
to Meralco and the Lopez family,” Binay added. (With
Claudette Mocon, Butch Fernandez) |
