‘If thoughts could kill…’
02/19/2010
If thoughts could kill…” was the text sent to me by a regular reader-listener of our column and radio program in reaction to the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC)’s latest announcement of impending power rate hikes (P3.38 per kilowatt-hour in Luzon, P4.71 per kWh in the Visayas, and 15.55 centavos per kWh in Mindanao), should the power companies’ petition citing the El Niño dry spell prevail.
For average middle class households, particularly in Luzon and the Visayas, this will translate to a whopping 30 to 40 percent increase in their monthly bills or between P700 and P1,200 more from their budget. Power firms are evidently blaming this on the inanimate cause called El Niño. And since Mother Nature is involved, no one is to blame — or so they say. Yet, judging by the policies instituted for the past decades that have stunted economic and infrastructure growth, it is the Philippine socio-political elite that are really to blame.
The roots of this energy crisis go back to the Edsa I counter-revolution of Cory Aquino. That’s when the Philippine oligarchy, in tandem with the Western-backed leftists, caused the cancellation of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP), as well as several other mega-hydroelectric projects such as the seven hydroelectric powered-Chico Dam. Even then, one could already see the rightist-leftist conspiracy decried during Marcos’ time. The leftists did their part through their insurgency in the Cordilleras (which brought nothing for Balweg, who was killed by the poverty of body and mind of his own rebels) while the right-winged civil society protested on the BNPP. If only the Chico River project had been in place during typhoon “Pepeng,” the floods might have been controlled and water reserves assured for the North during the dry spell. Tragically, everyone who is now hurting from the energy crisis regrets the loss of the BNPP.
It is vitally important to put these energy-economic crises in perspective to spot the culprits who confidently believe they can make the nation swallow their lies (i.e. that it’s all due to “natural causes” such as El Niño, as well as, the lack of new “private” power plants). First of all, El Niño is not a newly discovered phenomenon; it had been known to fishermen off the Peruvian coasts hundreds of years ago and scientifically studied since the 1960s. Given this long history, carbon emissions then could not have been the cause of this weather pattern. Also, its occurrences have been fairly reliable ever since studies of El Niño had started.
Yet, despite all this knowledge, our mainstream media persist in their ill-informed reporting, such as one paper’s depiction of “the abnormal signs of El Niño,” when these are normal, recurring phenomena. Ill-informed reporting only diverts our attention from the culprits’ malice in their policy-planning and political failures. These reports point to inanimate causes when it is really the profit-hungry ruling class’ decision-making that is inimical to the nation’s interest.
We must therefore focus on the present economic regimes of privatization, liberalization, and deregulation wherein profitable public utilities (thermal, geothermal, hydroelectric, etc.) are being privatized left and right. As reported by Arroyo’s economic adviser Joey Salceda, the top private corporations have earned a mind-blowing P3 trillion over the past decade. And as the top earners are the privatized utilities, these earnings have largely been made at the expense of capital intended for public investment in new vital energy projects. Now, whenever the private sector does invest in new power projects, exorbitant prices are always tacked onto these onerous purchased power agreements.
Unless the policies of privatization and liberalization are reversed, and unless the government’s energy assets are re-nationalized (a proposal aired even by charlatans like Frank Drilon to get on the good side of the public), the oligarchs’ plunder of every frayed pocket in this country and the decay in our quality of life will continue unabated. It has been proven that power and energy companies owned and run as public concerns in countries such as China, Thailand, Malaysia, etc., results in dramatically lower, more equitable, and growth-inducing energy costs.
In the current campaigns, it is impossible for the issue of re-nationalization of energy and other public utilities to get a fair shake. Anyone advocating it would be politically killed by the power pirates who also control the dominant media, who therefore play a key part in any candidate’s chances of winning.
Which brings me to my own “thoughts” that could kill: ABS-CBN’s censorship of campaign infomercials on Erap’s socially-oriented budgetary increases for education and social spending and restraints on debt servicing during his 1998-2000 term. These facts, despite being backed by official government figures, are still deemed to be “unverifiable” by this network giant. If I can only find a pro bono lawyer, ABS-CBN must be sued for denying our citizens’ right to information.
At the same time, if thoughts alone could exalt, then Judge Alameda of the Makati RTC should be in high heavens for his sagacious decision on the Gen. Danny Lim and Magdalo cases. After declaring the Manila Pen standoff as a “protest” and not a rebellion (as I have always contended), thereby granting bail, it is hoped that the military court will also be sagacious to grant all the detained officers and soldiers their liberty.
(Tune in to 1098AM, Sulo ng Pilipino, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.; Global News Network, Destiny Cable Channel 21, Talk News TV, Tuesday, 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. on “Untangling the Tuna Fishing Lines”; also visit http://hermantiulaurel.blogspot.com)
(Reprinted with permission from Mr. Herman Tiu-Laurel)
Source: The Daily Tribune
ALTERNATE URL: http://www.classicposters.com/commentary/20100219com6.html
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