Boo Chanco can’t decide if he will be a a propagandist or a columnist. It’s all too convenient for him to blame Duterte for anything and everything while singing praises of Leni Robredo. It’s clear who is more capable between the two but Chanco turns a blind eye to realities and relies more on his judgment.
We made a list of hot-button issues for Presidential candidates which the public must be aware of. Energy security is one of the top five given the shortages which China and Europe have been struggiling with as a result of the pandemic’s disruption. It’s ironic that during the Ramos administration, Chanco was a staunch advocate of the BOT scheme and continuing with the EPIRA during the Arroyo administration but is silent on why is it up to this time, we still have energy insecurity instead of security.
As retired investment banker Leo Alejandrino pointed out, our 6% average economic growth is mostly attributable to low-hanging fruit accompanying a consumption-driven economy. We need more foreign direct investment but aren’t getting much due to our poor infrastructure and high power and labor costs.
Chanco praises Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian who chairs the Senate’s Energy Committee even if Gatchalian hasn’t come up with his promised review and assessment of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant which he undertook in 2017. Chanco handled media and PR at the defunct Ministry of Energy under Geronimo Velasco but he also doesn’t say anything about the safety and viability of the BNPP. Even former Pangasinan Rep. Mark Cojuangco has grown silent on his advocacy for the upgrading and commissioning of the BNPP in light of the need to reduce carbon emissions due to decelerate the effects of climate change.
None of the Presidential candidates has addressed the issue squarely except for Sen. Ping Lacson who said that if the BNPP can comply with all the current safety requirements for nuclear power plants then there would be no reason why it shouldn’t be put to good use.
In the meantime, Chanco’s favored candidate, Leni Robredo, can only come up with a Kalayaan sa Covid plan and a new campaign video which doesn’t do much for the public’s needs for energy and food security and a clear path to economic recovery.
Pipiliin ka ni Leni Robredo araw-araw. Lunes hanggang Linggo. Ibibigay niya ng buong-buo ang para sa iyo.
Al Cusi may not be an energy expert which is a given but it doesn’t help that the opposition continues to throw chicanery accussations against Dennis Uy and his acquisition of Shell’s Malampaya stake. The opposition has been branding this as the mother of all plunder scams even if there is not much evidence to back it up. The opposition offensive has been focused on Michael Yang, Pharmally, Yang’s alledged drug links in Davao City and Dennis Uy’s acquisition of the Malampaya stake.
But for the record, what Chanco doesn’t say also is the fact that the opposition has been responsible for dismantling the energy security infrastrucutre which Marcos directed Ronnie Velasco to put into place after the oil crisis of 1973. This led to the wholesale dismantling of the National Power Corporation, particularly its geothermal power plants and the Philippine National Oil Corporation and its subsidiaries under Paul Aquino, the brother of Ninoy. The primary beneficiary of Paul Aquino’s posting to the Energy Development Corporation has been First Philippine Holdings of the Lopez Group.
It’s convenient to blame Duterte without providing the public with the accurate background history of why up to now, we still don’t have energy security.
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