Politicians told to unite to address power crisis

By Malu Cadeliña Manar

Sunday, May 6, 2012

KIDAPAWAN CITY -- A private lawyer in North Cotabato has called on politicians to set aside bickering and instead unify their "forces and efforts" to resolve the power crisis besetting the province.

Legal counsel Cromwell Rabaya said political bickering and the "blame game" won't put an end to the energy crisis but prolong peoples' suffering.

He said many of the residents have been "agonizing," some of them already incensed, by long rotating blackouts, which, records showed, last seven to eight hours daily.

Rabaya, counsel for City Vice Mayor Joseph Evangelista who on April 28 filed a civil case against Energy Secretary Jose Almendras and other power firm executives for their alleged failure to dispatch to Cotabato Electric Cooperative (Cotelco) the needed 25 percent priority load dispatch from the geothermal plants, said that at this time, the people want to see their politicians "rally together for the common good."

Rabaya was reacting to statements coming from other politicians in the city that said the filing of a civil case against the Energy department has hampered the National Government to act on their demands, one of which is the immediate implementation of the priority load dispatch.

Both the multi-sector group, Nagkakaisang Pinoy Kontra sa Brownout (Napikon sa Brownout), and Evangelista are “crying the same thing.”

The Napikon, led by City Administrator Rodolfo Cabiles Jr., also president of the Board of Directors of the Cotelco, was set to hold last April “Day of Mourning and Caravan” but was stalled after a “call” from Interior and Local Governments Secretary Jesse Robredo.

For Rabaya, the dialogue between the conveners of the Napikon and Energy Secretary Jose Almendras on May 3 brought no positive results as residents are still “pestered” by long brownouts.

The dialogue was also attended by local officials, including City Mayor Rodolfo Gantuangco and Cotabato 2nd district Representative Nancy Catamco.

"I saw there's an impasse in the dialogue. And the court is the best venue where the deadlock can be settled. This is why the filing of the case against the Department of Energy and other power executives was the best move, so far," Rabaya said.

Published in the Sun.Star Davao newspaper on May 07, 2012.   source