Coal plant will be safe: Duterte

Sunstar Davao

DAVAO City Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte has stood pat on his decision to support Aboitiz Power Corporation's plan to put up a $400 million coal-fired power plant in the city.

To show his full support to the coal-fired plant, Duterte even offered to resign from his post if the project will turn out to be harmful to the people of Davao.

"We will look into that. If we see it's detrimental to the people, we will never allow it," he said in his regular television program Sunday morning.

The vice mayor, however, said he is strongly pushing for the project after the Aboitiz family assured him that mitigating measures will be set up to minimize pollution once the plant is operational.

Duterte said the Aboitizes are from Davao City and "they will be the first ones to avoid hurting or destroying Davao City."

"I am for it," he said.

The vice mayor and the rest of the members of the City Council heard the presentation made by Erramon Aboitiz, CEO and president of the Aboitiz & Co. and Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc., last Tuesday.

After the presentation, Duterte told reporters that he is supporting and endorsing the project, which, he said, will help curb the power shortage in Mindanao.

But Mayor Sara Duterte, the vice mayor's daughter, said she is not totally amenable to the idea because of environment concerns.

In an interview Friday, she said she would rather let the people decide if they would allow such project in the city.

The Interface Development Interventions (Idis) is also opposing the project.

But Vice Mayor Duterte said the coal-fired power plant is a state-of-the art project and can minimize pollution.

"Karon pa lang nakaexperience na ta'g rotational brownout. Gi-tap nato ang hydro, tubig para mugenerate ug electricity, but still kulang. Karon ang Davao Light muhatag gihapon (We have already experienced rotational brownout. We have tapped hydro power plants to generate electricity, but the supply is still not enough. The Davao Light will still provide). It is a matter of $400 million, which it is a big investment," Duterte said.

He said Aboitiz assured him of the state-of-the-art technology, and that "there will be no more pollution."(CRAM/With ICT)

Published in the Sun.Star Davao newspaper on October 11, 2010.