OSMENA HAS NO CREDIBILITY ON POWER ISSUES

The FASTER THAN LIGHTNING verdict of Senate Energy Committee chair Sergio Osmeña III that there was no proof independent power suppliers connived to raise power rates to record-high levels DESERVES NO CREDIBILITY WHATSOEVER.

And if Osmena had any DELICADEZA in him, he should be SMART ENOUGH to realize that he should be the last Filipino to say anything about power rates.

Osmena SHAMELESSLY declared his ’no collusion’ findings ONLY FIVE HOURS after a Senate probe of the sky high power rate increase  being charged by the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) starting this month.

Osmena announced his conclusion WITHOUT EXTENSIVELY GOING THROUGH DOCUMENTS which can help prove possible connivance among power suppliers – financial statements, projections of profits that power suppliers can earn, maintenance records of power plants, findings by INDEPENDENT EXPERTS on WHY POWER PLANTS HAD TO SIMULTANEOUSLY SHUT DOWN and other related issues.

Simply put, Osmena RELIED ONLY on the words of power suppliers and the other witnesses in the Senate hearing.  NOT ON ANYONE ELSE’S. He didn’t even ask for any study from any government agency or independent expert opinion from the public.

So considering that he’s NOT A KNOWN TECHNICAL EXPERT or RESPECTED EXECUTIVE when it comes to the power industry, Osmena DID NOT HAVE ANY MORAL OR PROFESSIONAL right to rule out a collusion among powers suppliers IN JUST FIVE LOUSY HOURS.

His ’no collusion’ pronouncement CLEARS  Meralco and independent power suppliers of any criminal or moral activity WITHOUT OFICIAL INVESTIGATION by appropriate government agencies.  Going through history, Osmena has at least TWO MAJOR reasons to protect Meralco and industry p[layers.

First, Osmena is married to Bettina Mejia Lopez a scion of the family which had founded Meralco and was once the majority owner of the company. The Lopez Group of Companies owns First Gen Corp., which operates the 1,000 MW Santa Rita Power Plant, one of three power plants currently on shutdown. 

More importantly, IT’S PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE that Osmena is a VERY DEAR FRIEND of the late and respected Lopez scion Eugenio or ‘Geny,’ one of the founding fathers of ABS-CBN.

So it would be FOOLISH to expect a TRULY IMPARTIAL and EXHAUSTIVE Senate probe of the power industry for as long as  Osmena is the presiding officer.

Whoever takes Osmena’s word BLINDLY or HOOK, LINE AND SINKER is either a power supplier, a mentally sick person or an ILLITERATE. Take your pick, people. 30