Before, it was a bold, “If you like it, you buy it!” Now it’s an entirely different tune, like they won’t give up the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) without a fight.

Nobody wants to give up the gravy or the goose that lays the golden egg. If they meant what they first said, I would be wondering what surprises they have up their sleeves.

It’s simply out of character for a businessman to just give up a highly profitable enterprise. But the question here is not really who owns Meralco or who wants to run it; or whether it is run like a well-oiled machine or used like a prostitute.

The issues here are not simply limited to how the government makes profits on its investments, but more on matters of humanitarian concern. Is it a humane policy of Meralco to fleece its own customer base from whom it owes its business? Or its own stockholders? Or its own creditors? Then collect billions in VAT when the transaction is VAT-exempt?

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Now comes this revelation from a congressman from Camarines Sur who accused Meralco of “ghost delivery.” It appears that sometime in 2000, First Gas, a Meralco sister company, billed Meralco for the delivery of some 1,000 megawatts which Meralco, in turn, charged its customers.

However, later scrutiny revealed that First Gas has a capacity of only 300 megawatts, at most, for the period in question, from which transaction Meralco earned as much as P3.3 billion, according to the congressman.

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The controversy has bared a litany of shameful business practices that Meralco should explain because it is, in part, a publicly owned utility company, and my God! It owes the public a lot of explanations.

An advertisement in the papers is not enough. Meralco should face the public and the government to whom it owes much of its existence.

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I’m wondering why there are as many versions of “The Lord’s Prayer” in as many Catholic churches, and even variations of the lyrics which often result in the choir not able to follow when a new version is sung.

I think that there should be a common music set to the “Ama Namin” and “The Lord’s Prayer,” which would be easy for the faithful to learn by heart because they are already familiar with the lyrics. We don’t need so many versions.

This prayer has been handed down to us from centuries, when Christ first taught his disciples how to pray. Introducing so many variations in the music only confuses the parishioner. Let’s harmonize. 

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Just asking: Why is it that so many vacant properties carry the sign, “Private Property Not For Sale.” If these properties are not for sale, why do the owners advertise it?

I can’t see the logic other than to assume that what they want to say is “No Trespassing.” Or is it because the owners want to draw the attention of passersby to the property because they really want to sell it? Reverse psychology?

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Mayor Fred Lim, who became well- known for his motto, “The law applies to all, or to none at all,” deserves our congratulations because it appears he did not interfere when his son was apprehended for violating the antidrugs law.

I am sure it was a heartache for the mayor when his son, said to be his favorite, in fact, was caught in such circumstances.

To the credit of the good mayor, he left his son to his own devices to face the music until the son was able to post bail, which was already a judgment call for the courts.

I am sure a lot of people are taking notice of this. We should have more public officials like Mayor Lim. 

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I wonder why they are making so much fuss of this new revelation of Vice Gov. Rolex Suplico about the golf game in Shenzhen, China. And now, my Kumadre Gina de Venecia is trying to fire her own misguided missile by attributing sinister connotations for the supposed meeting with Chinese personalities after the golf game.

Mrs. de Venecia seems to complain why she was not included in the meeting, and yet she admits that her husband, then-Speaker Joe de Venecia, was in that meeting.

If there was something so secret and mysterious about that meeting, surely JDV would have known everything that was discussed. Notwithstanding the many broadsides the former Speaker delivered against Malacañang, JDV never said anything derogatory regarding that meeting; unless the good Speaker himself was pari delicto?

If the news reports are accurate, President Arroyo will meet with Manuel Lopez, Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) chairman and CEO, tomorrow in Bohol amid the raging controversy over high electricity rates.

Each of us would have a unique plan that would be aligned with our own personal financial goals.

Determine the reason why you want these goals. For whom do you intend to do this goal? Doing your financial goal is a responsibility and obligation that you owe to yourself and your family.

Most promdis love their home provinces and hometowns. They keep on longing to go back to their lupang tinubuan. Memories of childhood and early youth grow more beautiful and precious with the years.

Through the Looking Glass: Sideshows and spurned solutions

This sideshow starring a state pension fund and the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) is not about lowering rates and instilling competent management. At least not if the standards imposed on Caesar’s wife were applied.

Coast-to-Coast: Power and rice; why Bello?

That reduced power rates, stable rice prices and, yes, increased government revenues are on top of the Arroyo administration’s agenda serves to underscore the fact that it is bent on resolving the real, hard issues affecting our people, unlike some legislators and their self-styled “pro-people” cohorts who cannot seem to accept that the nation has moved on and has had enough of their contrived “search for truth” crusade centered on the NBN-ZTE inquiry.

The Entrepreneur: Beating the oil crisis

I DISCUSSED in two previous columns the opportunities arising from the food crisis, particularly in developing agriculture as an engine of economic growth. I don’t know how many people have noticed it, but there’s a pleasant change going on in the culture of doing business.

Reflections from the Mirror: ‘Pari delicto’?

Before, it was a bold, “If you like it, you buy it!” Now it’s an entirely different tune, like they won’t give up the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) without a fight.