Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Subic coal plant developer snubs stakeholders' forum

By Anthony Bayarong Home Updated December 07, 2011 04:16 PM


SUBIC BAY FREEPORT, Philippines – Representatives from the Redondo Peninsula Energy Incorporated, developer of the soon-to-be-developed 300MW coal power plant, snubbed today a social acceptability forum here facilitated by the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority.


SBMA slated the event to gauge the acceptance of the project from different sectors within the Freeport area, and to determine if the present board would approve the proposal of RPE for an expansion from 300MW to 600MW power plant.


The gathering involved inviting local government units, residents and indigenous people living around Subic to solicit the acceptability of the project in the area.


SBMA Board of Director Philip Camara said RPE called SBMA chairman Roberto Garcia saying that they would not be able to attend the forum.


“They were advised by their lawyers not to attend,” he added.


Ray Cunningham of RPE in a text message said: “While RP Energy was keen to participate in these but could not do so under the invalid premise established by SBMA among those attending, namely, that RP Energy is subject to the social acceptability process as enacted by the SBMA board on Aug 11.”


“Our efforts to resolve this important issue satisfactory with SBMA with in a limited time frame available were not successful; hence our participation would only have created further misunderstanding and confusion regarding the social acceptability process,” Cunningham added.


Cunningham, member of the steering committee of RPE coal plant in Subic, said there were no significant opposition to the project and that they have already conducted several information and education campaign in the last few months.


“One opposition here is extremely vocal and well finance and know how to get into the media but there is a lot of hard evidence to us that indicates it is not major opposition to this project,” Cunningham explained.

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