CHIZ BUCKS EMERGENCY POWERS FOR GMA
Scores DOE chief's 'criminal shortsightedness'

Opposition Sen. Chiz Escudero yesterday lambasted the Department of Energy (DOE) for its "criminal shortsightedness" in securing the power requirements of the country.

The senator also scored moves to grant emergency powers to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo supposedly to address the looming power crisis.

"Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes should explain why this situation was allowed to fester. Why are we now rushing everything when this problem should have been addressed a year ago?" Escudero asked.

"That is why the DOE is there, to make sure that these things do not happen. This is a clear case of criminal shortsightedness on the part of Secretary Reyes given that the supposed power crisis will play a critical role in next year's political exercise," he added.

"It is unforgivable that the government is now telling us that a power crisis is imminent, as if we did not learn our lesson. This already happened during the time of President Corazon Aquino, when we had to live with 12-hour daily blackouts that impacted on economic activities," the 39-year old lawmaker said.

During the late 1980s up to the early 1990s, the country suffered massive power shortages which forced the government to go into expensive power purchase agreements (PPA) with independent power producers.

"Because of the lack of preparations, those infamous PPAs were born. That situation gave rise to high power costs, the highest in Asia, which we continue to pay for up to now," Escudero said.

He also said that the "timing" of the looming power crisis is suspect as he strongly opposed granting emergency powers to President Arroyo.

"There is something sinister in the situation unfolding and we cannot allow it to go unchecked. The DOE should get its act together and figure out how to address the problem without going to the extremes. The Filipino people are already burdened as it is by the global economic crisis. They do not deserve another regime of regular power outages and high electricity costs," Escudero said.

"Why should the citizenry pay for the ineptness of Secretary Reyes? He has clearly failed in his responsibility to oversee the development of the power sector," he said.

"Given that the nation is entering the political season, all this talk about a power crisis, emergency powers and other sinister scenarios serve only to scare the people and condition their minds to a bleak future ahead," Escudero added.