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Kiko demands better explanation on Malampaya issue: Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan says he finds it disturbing that the only reason the Department of Energy could offer in foregoing with the right to first refusal in the acquisition of the Malampaya gas field is ‘negative factors and constraints.’ During the hybrid plenary session deliberating on the proposed 2022 budget of DOE, Pangilinan said the Senate deserves better explanation, asking the department as well as the Philippine National Oil Company- Exploration Corporation to submit the minutes of the board meetings on this matter. “This is just a broad, general statement to justify the turnover to a private corporation of over billion dollars’ worth of assets or at least, what could have been government assets… Let’s look at the numbers, let’s look at the computations, let’s look at the projections, then we will understand what are these negative factors that created constraints,” Pangilinan said Tuesday, November 16, 2021. In March, Davao-based Udenna Corporation acquired majority stake in the Malampaya gas project. (Screen grab/Senate PRIB)