GMA to Congress leaders: Cross party lines to pass power bill

President Arroyo has urged members of Congress to cross party lines and pass the Omnibus Power Sector Reform Bill into law.

Speaking at a dinner for administration and opposition legislators at Malacañang Sunday, Mrs. Arroyo said the bill is an anti-poverty measure of her administration that would ease the people’s burden of high electricity rates.

"We must restructure the power industry once and for all, stop the billions of pesos of service payment for Napocor (National Power Corp.) indebtedness and free scarce government resources for pro-poor projects, reduce power rates for end-users and attract more investors to the country," she said.

Mrs. Arroyo called Congress to a four-day special session starting yesterday to allow the legislators to deliberate the controversial bill and immediately pass it into law.

However, militant workers were skeptical of Mrs. Arroyo, and yesterday rallied in front of the House of Representatives in Quezon City to demand that Congress junk the Omnibus Power Sector Reform Bill.

The activists are counting on Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile to put up a stiff fight when the bill reaches the Senate after it has passed the House of Representatives.

Wilson Fortaleza, Sanlakas president, told reporters yesterday congressmen are just waiting for the report of the bicameral conference committee before passing the bill.

"It’s almost a done deal at the House of Representatives," he said.

On the other hand, Akbayan Rep. Loretta Anne Rosales said the progressive bloc in the House would insist on another deliberation even if the bill is already with the bicameral conference committee.

"In fact, I get the sense that quite a number of us here want this matter deferred for the next Congress," she said.

The Senate formally reconstituted its seven-man panel to the bicameral conference committee for the reconciliation of the bill’s House and Senate versions.

Sen. Francisco Tatad said Mrs. Arroyo appears to be under extreme pressure to speed up the pace of economic reform and have the bill passed.

"I believe the economic managers are telling her that this is absolutely necessary for the economy to move on," he said.

The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) has also joined the call for the Omnibus Power Sector Reform Bill to be enacted into law.

At a power summit yesterday, PCCI president Miguel Varela said Congress should pass the bill because any delay would have an impact on investment prospects in the country.

"The power bill is very crucial in implementing the needed structural reforms in the power sector," he said.

Varela said the country will experience massive blackouts that would be detrimental to the economy if the country’s power plant requirements are not immediately met.

"But it has to be emphasized that we need to avoid repeating the delays of the past because as the bill may prove costly to the government, further indefinite delays may prove more costly for the economy," he said.

During the same forum, Rodolfo Quetua, Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) vice president for utility economies, said Meralco supports the passage of the bill although it will end the company’s monopoly.

"The recent attacks on the bicameral version of the bill centers on rushing it to preserve the monopoly of those already entrenched in the power business," he said.

Quetua said they have realized that deregulation in the power industry is inevitable and that it will "sweep" Meralco in the process.

"We might as well actively participate in pursuing a bill that has sound structures that will foster fierce competition in wholesale and retail supply and introduce reasonable performance standards in the regulated sectors of transmission and distribution wires, in a regime where each player, foreign or local, competes on an even playing field," he said.

Fortaleza warned yesterday that the protest action will be the first of a series of "people power" that they would launch to stop the passage of the bill.

"We will hound the deliberations of the measure so as to guarantee that the interests of the consumers are not trampled upon," he said.

On the other hand, Teodoro Casiño, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan secretary general, in an official statement said the Omnibus Power Bill seeks to benefit big foreign businesses and local private interests at the expense of the people.

"Privatization and deregulation will certainly put more premium on profit than on service as the case of government’s privatization of Petron and the deregulation of the oil industry as well as the privatization of the MWSS," he said.

Sammy Malunes, Kilusang Mayo Uno spokesman, called for the scrapping of the bill on the ground that it would wreak havoc on the economic lives of Filipinos.

"There will be layoffs by thousands ... (and) thousands of more workers will be contractualized," he said. "Electricity bills will soar and services will deteriorate."

Fortaleza said the passage of the Omnibus Power Bill will result in high electricity rates, contrary to the government’s claim that it would lower the cost of electricity.

"Ate Glo’s argument that the power bill will reduce electric bills is creative marketing," he said. "Turning over Napocor to private monopolies will inevitably result in higher electricity costs for the ordinary consumer."

Casiño said the Arroyo administration is set to railroad the bill’s passage into law and Mrs. Arroyo would not listen to the pleas of marginalized sectors, who are constantly reeling from the effects of high power rates. – With reports from Mayen Jaymalin, Romel Bagares, Efren Danao, Donnabelle Gatdula