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News Release
May 5, 2014
References: Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarae, 0!1""1"4014
B#$#N M%N#: &R'(.#)%IN* +*, ,-' &*.'R CRI(I( %&(I/' /*.N
Says Mindanao is the one suffering the most due to the power situation
Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate today hit Pres. Benigno Simeon Aquino III for once again passing the lame to others the
dismal failure of his administration to effecti!ely respond to the perennial po"er "oes of the people in Mindanao.#
It$s laming time once again for Pres. Aquino. %et& he got the po"er crisis upside do"n' his prescriptions of mere
changes in the (lectric Po"er Industry Reform Act )(PIRA* to supposedly facilitate more competition and increase the
numer of generating plants are all cosmetic&# Rep. Zarate said.
+he real prolem is the (PIRA itself and the orgy of pri!ati,ation of the po"er sector that it spa"ned in more than a
decade no". Contrary to the promised adequate supply and cheaper electricity& "hat "e ha!e no" is one of the highest
po"er rates in the "orld. -hat "e need no" is to re!erse this policy and craft a "hole ne" alternati!e to (PIRA&# Rep.
Zarate said.
+he progressi!e solon made the call as Mindanao san. deeper into a lingering po"er prolem "ith rotational ro"n/outs
outs lasting from 0/1 hours in se!eral parts of the island.
It is Mindanao that is suffering the most on the current po"er situation and it sho"ed ho" precarious still is our po"er
situation under this (PIRA regime "here the island$s ma2or go!ernment po"er assets "ere pri!ati,ed and handed do"n
and sold& some for a song& to a fe" players&# the 3a!aoeno solon said.
4e said that Mindanao$s induced po"er crisis# started "hen the go!ernment sold its po"er generating assets& li.e the
566/M- capacity Po"er Barge 7o. 558 ) 566 M-* situated in 7asipit& Agusan del 7orte and a similar 566/M- capacity
Po"er Barge 7o. 559 situated in Maco& Compostela :alley. +he t"o po"er arges "ere sold in ;66< for only =>6 Million
to the Aoiti,es& "ho also o"ned se!eral electric distriution utilities in Mindanao. Another ma2or po"er generating
asset& the <1/M- capacity Mt. Apo ?eothermal Plant& "as also sold to the @ope,/controlled (nergy 3e!elopment Corp.
Mean"hile& the go!ernment$s remaining ma2or po"er asset& the Agus/Pulangi 4ydropo"er Plant CompleA )AP4C* "ith a
dependale capacity of 866 M-& continue to suffer from lac. of udget and maintenance. AP4C$s hea!y siltation
prolem and the lac. of mitigation measures to address it are the main causes "hy of lo"ered dependale capacity to only
166/066 M-.
+his pri!ati,ation effecti!ely made Mindanaoans !irtual hostages of the po"er cartel. And& this is made e!en "orst y
the president$s indifferent declaration t"o years ago& offering Mindanaoans "ith only t"o optionsB pay e!en more higher
electricity or suffer more rotating ro"nouts&# Rep& Zarate said& recalling Pres. Aquino$s statement during the April 5>&
;65; Mindanao Po"er Summit in 3a!ao City.
-orse still& despite these prolems and utter failure& the go!ernment still "ants to further our sufferings y implementing
the Interim Mindanao (lectricity Mar.et )IM(M*& the same corporate scheme that is one of the main cause of the high
po"er prices in @u,on and the :isayas& the same greedy mechanism used y po"er players to game the electricity
industry& to the utter detriment of the hapless consumers&# Rep. Zarate said&
-e fear that the current Mindanao po"er situation "ill once again e used y the Aquino go!ernment to e!en fast tract
the pri!ati,ation of the Agus/Pulangi 4ydropo"er Plant CompleA. Instead of prioriti,ing the de!elopment of rene"ale
energy& this situation "ill also e used to 2ustify the entry of more dirty energy sources li.e coal/fired po"er plants& "hich
ironically are also hea!ily "ater/dependent technology& Rep. Zarate "arned.
It is high time no" to put an end to this failed eAperiment and "e return the po"er sector& this !ery asic pulic ser!ice&
ac. to the effecti!e control of the state&# said the Mindanao/ased solon. CCC
0or 1ore infor1aion, please conac:
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