Davao official insists on coal plant

Sunstar Davao

DAVAO CITY Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte has remained steadfast in his support for the construction of a coal-fired power plant in Davao City, saying it will address a looming power crisis in Davao Region.

In his television program Sunday, Duterte insisted the city has no power source other than the coal power plants that could address the impending crisis.

He acknowledges, however, that the proposed hydropower plant in Tamugan is still mired with problems.

"Dili ta kabalibad kay kulang ang atong source of power," he said. (We cannot reject this, because we lack source of power.)

Duterte admits that there is pollution in coal power plants, but says this has been decreased remarkably with the new technology.

"Naa gyud trade-off na. That is progress -- we cannot go on with the present situation wherein three years from now we will suffer from brownouts," he said.

In a released statement on Friday, the People Opposed to Warrantless Electricity Rates (Power Dabaw) expressed concern about Duterte's favorable statements on the proposal by Aboitiz to build a coal-fired power plant in the city.

Power Dabaw chair Nonato Bolos said the basis of Duterte's approval of the power plant is "very limiting," adding that beyond environmental issues, there are economic concerns to be weighed and given attention.

Bolos says, "For instance, an impending power crisis cannot be used to force us to accepting an environmentally and economically unsound project in the city."

But Duterte says the oppositors, instead of ranting about environment, should propose alternative sources of energy that could address the power crisis for the government to reconsider.

He says that as an elected official, he is looking at the holistic and realistic approach to the problem instead of just considering one aspect of it.

"Sayon sultihon kay wa man mo nagtan-aw unsay kinahanglan sa atong nasud. Kamo hangtud sa environment lang man mo. Sige lang mo balibad wala man pud mo alternative (It's so easy for you to oppose because you don't consider the immediate needs of our country. Your concerns are limited to the environment. You keep on opposing but you can't offer any alternative source)," Duterte said, addressing critics of the proposed coal power plant.

Duterte recently visited the Steag coal plant in Misamis Oriental. There he saw how the latest coal plants use the latest technology that drastically lessens the emission of harmful gases to the environment.

"Pag-abot nako gaandar ang makina. Humming lang pero wala kay makit-ang aso. Naay pollution pero not as destructive and as profound in its threat to the environment. Akong nakit-an, with a zero noise pollution, I am for it," he said. (When I got there the machines were running. They were just humming but you couldn't see any smoke. There's pollution but it's not as destructive and as profound in its threat to the environment. I observed zero pollution. I am for it.)

Duterte says that the construction of a coal-fired power plant in the city will mean cheaper power rate in the long run.

But Power Dabaw reiterates the proceedings of the recently held 1st Regional Power Conference in the city, which broadly discussed the power situation in the country, especially in Mindanao.

Among the concerns raised by the opposition against the coal-fired power plant is its monopolized ownership by the Aboitiz Company and the likely end result of higher power rates.

"There are material bases of power rates increasing unabatedly in areas where coal-fired plants are operating. Take, for instance, the case in Negros Occidental where an impending P2.50 per kilowatt-hour will be implemented after Christmas as a result of a deal between the province's lone power distributor and a firm that runs a coal-fired plant," Bolos said.

Power Dabaw also pointed out the recommendations of the conference that urges for the immediate repeal of the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (Epira) and the creation of a nationalized power sector. Also part of the recommendations is the creation of an independent research and monitoring team that would investigate Southern Mindanao's power situation.

"The pronouncements of power crisis in Mindanao and other issues related to the power sector are cooked-up scenarios under the implementation of the Epira," Bolos says.

"We do not expect the Aboitiz [Company] to be telling the vice mayor the same concerns we have. Theirs would always be greed for profit as against ours which is to protect the best interest of the consuming public," he adds.

Bolos further says that if the vice mayor's sincere intention is to provide the best social services to the people of Davao City, then it's all the more reason he should listen to what the people have to say rather than considering only the side of the Aboitiz Company. (Ben O. Tesiorna/PR)

Published in the Sun.Star Davao newspaper on December 13, 2010.