'Take it or leave it'

The much publicized energy summit called by the President Aquino last Friday in Davao City, ended in no new measures to address the rotating blackouts immediately.

The President in effect brushed aside unanimous recommendations from all sectors attending the summit. Despite opposition from the conferees, the only solution offered by the President is the use of power barges now privately owned which could charge high rates at P8 to P11 per kilowatt hour from the present P3.

The President candidly stated that Mindanaoans had only 2 choices, pay higher electricity costs or continue to suffer the blackouts.

Columnist Amando Doronila commented. “The summit participants took the hard-line speech as an ultimatum from the barrel of the gun — not as a solution to the first economic emergency that has gripped Mindanao in the first two years of the Aquino Administration. Higher electricity cost was the Government’s brusque response to the package of recommendations drawn by the plenary all of Friday morning and presented to the President upon his arrival.”

Agham Party list Rep. Angelo Palmones said: “Nothing was resolved in the Power Summit.”

Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casiño observed “The President has obviously made up his mind even before he came to the summit. He did not even bother to listen to the voices of Mindanao.”

“It was a truly disappointing exercise. The morning session was great but turned sour when the President spoke,” Casiño added.

Ricardo Juliano, vice president of the Mindanao Chamber of Commerce and Industry said: “The government has failed despite our warning of power outages two years ago. We see no need for privatization and inter connection with Luzon and Visayas.”

He was supported by Davao del Norte Gov. Rodolfo del Rosario, Zamboanga City Rep. Isabelle Climaco and Misamis Occidental Rep. Leo Ocampos.

It will be a long hot summer for Mindanaoans. They will have to suffer 3 years before the solutions kick in.

Another big problem: Napocor employees plan to garnish the income of the Agus and Pulangi Hydroelectric power plants to pay for back wages pursuant to a final Supreme Court decision.

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POLITICAL UPDATE . . Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said that the parting of ways between P-Noy and Binay is “Inevitable” since they belong to different parties, LP and PDP Laban.

Senator Mar Roxas, LP President, issued a surprise announcement that he is not planning to run for President in 2016.

The Nacionalista Party has not decided whether to ally with LP or UNA. But they announced they will field a short list of Senatorial candidates, namely former Congresswoman Cynthia Villar, Sen. Allan Peter Cayetano, Deputy Speaker Crispin “Boying” Remulla and former Surigao del Norte Governor Robert “Ace” Barbers. The 40 men National Unity Party headed by Cebu Cong. Pablo Garcia and Nueva Ecija Cong. Rodolfo Antonino, now in coalition with the LP Belmonte House Majority is planning to field senatorial candidates also.

Lakas NUCD headed by Sen. Bong Revilla has been quiet on its plans.

Cong. Manny Pacquiao has decided to join the PDP-Laban party of VP Binay. He is running for Governor of Sarangani. Also joining is Gov. Josephine Sato of Occidental Mindoro.

Sen. Freddie Webb and Mayor Sherwin Gatchalian are planning to run for the Senate and also Atty. Romy Macalintal. Willie Revillame has formed a party list. He said he is not running for the Senate.

The LP has invited former Sen. Ramon Magsaysay Jr. to join its Senate slate.

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NO JOBS PROGRAM . . An official of the Asian Development Bank said that the Philippine government has no coherent jobs program. It pointed out that neighboring Asian countries focused on manufacturing and industrial projects to provide jobs for lower end applicants. He said the BPO sector is for higher end jobs.

UP Professor Alex Magno commented that the government should increase its public works budget to P500 billion to create more jobs.

To date, many DPWH projects have been delayed. Mujiv Hataman, ARMM Governor, has delayed P2.3 billion worth of projects because he rejected projects already approved and aligned them to a new list he prepared.

Quezon Cong. Danny Suarez is building a P300 million fish hatchery project.

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ON THE WAR PATH . . Sen. Koko Pimentel expressed opposition to the DOJ plan to make election supervisor Lilian Suan Radam and Yogi Martirizar state witness against Ex Comelec Chairman Benjamin Abalos.

Pimentel said the two Comelec officials are the most guilty and therefore should continue to be charged with electoral sabotage.

DOJ Sec. Leila de Lima announced the plan to drop charges against the two.

Pimentel also said that former Sen. Migz Zubiri should be included in the charges of electoral sabotage. He has expressed his objection to the inclusion of Zubiri in the United National Alliance ticket.

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TIDBITS . . . Congratulations to the new Executive Council and officers of the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines headed by former Sen. Ernesto “Boy” Herrera and Jun Umali. They were inducted into office last Monday by Vice President Jejomar Binay.

Condolence to the family of Leyte Provincial Board Member Roque Tiu who died in Los Angeles, California of a heart attack. He was Mayor of Tanauan, Leyte for 9 years.

Three people died in a grenade blast at a cockpit in Aleoson, North Cotabato. One person died in a holdup of a bus in Carmen Cotabato.

PAL is offering a Hong Kong-Kalibo direct flight.

For 13 months in a row, The Bureau of Customs has missed its collection target. Reports of unabated smuggling of meat continues to pour in.

The Department of Agriculture announced a plan to help Mindoro and Mindanao garlic farmers. Stop garlic smuggling from China first.