Emergency Powers for Arroyo

Energy secretary Angelo Reyes has a very interesting proposition. Since we're now suffering from power shortages in the Visayas and Mindanao, Reyes said that probably by next year, Luzon will also have power shortages. Reyes even made a threat that blackouts would surely affect the conduct of the May 10, 2010 elections.

This, says Reyes, justifies giving emergency powers to Arroyo to solve the potential energy crisis.

What Reyes did not know was that reporters also interviewed the one responsible for distributing electricity and that agency said that we still have excess capacity to avert an energy crisis. Reyes' call was uncalled for.

Obviously, Reyes is praying for something to happen to extend his madame Arroyo's term. Or, maybe, just maybe, Reyes is thinking of the "profits", quick ones at that, from "emergency projects"? Silly me.

Reyes, like the rest of Mrs. Arroyo's gang, is praying for a term extension. Or, Reyes is just cautioning the public of an administration plan to sabotage the forthcoming 2010 elections?

Whatever his motives are, Reyes' call for emergency powers to Mrs. Arroyo is uncalled for. We don't need to give emergency powers to somebody we know would just abuse it.

These administration men are fearing for their lives. They know for a fact that the administration does not have a winnable candidate. They fear of losing their juicy positions and its attendant perks.

This is a concern because these pro-Arroyo men might do something drastic just to stay in power.

Cheap Tricks

Yesterday, Gloria signed the Cheaper Medicines bill. It aims to bring down the costs of medicine. Senator Mar Roxas was there. He witnessed the signing of his pet bill. After that, he was interviewed, along with Gloria, and said that the bill will help Filipinos buy cheaper priced medicines.

Question to Mr. Roxas--how diluted is this approved version? I mean, Gloria thumbed down the "generics only" provisions of this bill. Now, based on your assessment, will this affect the prices of medicine? In the next few weeks or months, we will see if this bill will indeed, bring down the costs of medicines.

Two days ago, the DSWD and Meralco started giving 500 peso dole-outs to lifeline users of electricity. Question---how long will government give cash subsidies to the poor? Reports say its only for the month of May. Succeeding months, consumers will have to bear the brunt of high electricity rates. It's okey, says the apologists. At least, government extended some help to ease the burden. After this month, what then?

Gloria also ordered the Department of Energy to extend a 5-peso diesel subsidy to jeepney drivers and operators. Energy secretary Angelo Reyes says this is all there is to it. While Reyes was saying this, prices of gasoline and diesel shoot up to 1.50 pesos per liter. Diesel prices are now close to 50 while gasoline prices are nearing the 60 peso mark. Reyes can't do anything? And he says that he's a former Chief of Staff? What a wimp!

Question---why is Gloria's gang not touching Petron, Caltex and Shell? I mean, now is the time for government to intervene, but they are not? Marcos did regulate these oil companies before. Why can't we regulate them now?

The truth---oil companies probably give billions worth of lobby funds to silence government opposition. That's the only reason I see at this point.

Lastly, Gloria's gang are targeting telecommunications companies to lower text and call rates. That's commendable, to say the least. However, there's a catch--government will still continue getting VAT-related costs from them. So, the costs will still be considerable for the Filipino consumer.

Anyway, I had enough of this. Let us allow government to do its thing with all these cosmetic and palliative solutions and let's just see what will happen next.

There's one thing that is very evident in all these--government did not do its job properly during the last eight years of its administration.