Oligarchs blamed for power crisis

A newly formed group composed of various labor unions on Monday said that the power shortage being experienced in Mindanao should be blamed on wealthy families, including that of President Benigno Aquino 3rd, who are in complete control of power generation, distribution and supply of electricity in the country.

Calling itself LAMPARA (lantern), the group claimed that the power crisis is man-made and that it was designed to hike power rates in the region. It urged President Aquino to exercise strong political will in addressing the problem to prevent it from spreading to the Visayas and Luzon in the coming years.

“We insist that the power shortage in Mindanao is man-made. These actions are clear proof that these oligarchs are socially irresponsible, politically unaccountable, and financially acquisitive.

They are scaremongering and manipulating the country’s power industry to again drive the hapless Filipino consumers and workers no choice but [reach] deeper into their pockets to pay for their increasing electric bill,” the group said in a statement.

LAMPARA is composed of the Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines, National Power Corp. (Napocor) Employees Consolidated Unions, TUCP party-List, Napocor Employees and Workers Union, Kilusang BANAT, Philippine Airlines Employees Association, Napocor Drivers and Mechanics Association, Partido Manggagawa, National Confederation of Labor, Buklurang Manggagawag Pilipino, Sentro, and Earth Savers Movement.

Also, the groups Rebolusyonaryong Alyansang Makabansa and Para sa Bansa are members of LAMPARA.

The group said that the Pangilinans, the Tans, the Sys, the Lopezes, the Aboitizes, and even the Cojuangcos should be blamed for the Mindanao problem. It called on Mr. Aquino to discontinue political paybacks to these families and their corporate campaign contributors.

“We are alarmed that this issue will again polarize the highly sensitive and pervasive class disparity between and among Filipinos at a time when millions of ordinary waged workers have to pass through a convoluted wage board procedures for them to be able to cope with the skyrocketing increases in prices of basic commodities and costs of basic services due to a deregulated oil industry,” the statement said.

Emergency powers

The group’s concerns were echoed by House assistant minority leader Ma. Milagros Magsaysay of Zambales province, who suspected that wealthy families could be forcing Aquino to seek emergency powers.

“The way we see it, they are forcing the President to seek emergency power and we fear that he might just give favors to those who have helped him in the last elections,” Magsaysay said.

She labeled as “arrogant and uncaring” a statement issued by Deputy Presidential Spokesman Abigail Valte last Sunday that indicated the government’s lack of concrete plans to address the power crisis.

“It’s obvious in her answer that they are not doing anything to fix the problem. It also shows the arrogance and uncaring attitude this government has,” Magsaysay said in an interview.

Lazy

Further, Magsaysay said Valte’s remarks were “lazy” when the official said that the people would have to choose between higher power rates and a prolonged crisis.

“They are forcing down our throats the issues that they could not address. Sagot ng tamad ‘yung sagot ni Valte [Valte’s reply was lazy],” she noted.

For his part, Rep. Simeon Datumanong of Maguindanao province said that the “solution offered by the government of either higher electricity cost or no electricity at all will make people believe that the power crisis in Mindanao is not merely [an issue of] insufficient source [of] power but [an] issue of electricity cost.”

“The people may not appreciate this,” Datumanong, a former secretary of the Department of Justice, said in a separate text message.

Reports quoted Valte as saying that “while traditionally the cost of electricity is higher in Luzon and Visayas compared to Mindanao, the choices now are higher electricity cost or no electricity,” as she reiterated that everyone must “share the burden in finding a solution to this problem.” –Jefferson Antiporda and Ruben Manahan 4th, Reporters, Manila Times