MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang called unfair yesterday Sen. Sergio Osmeña II’s description as “almost criminal” President Aquino’s dealing with the looming power crisis, the port congestion in Manila and the problems of the Metro Rail Transit (MRT).
Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said the government’s efforts to find solutions to these problems are not criminal.
“I know that Senator Osmeña is an expert in power and so we’re trying to find new ways to solve that,” he said.
Lacierda said the important thing is that after four years in office, the administration has identified the problems, and that government is trying deal with all of them.
“I guess everybody has his own opinion on how government reacts or responds – or the way government treats the problem,” he said.
“But what we can say for certain is that we have identified the problem, we are providing the solutions to them.
“We are addressing those concerns, and maybe we have a difference in opinion on how we address those concerns, but we respect Senator Osmeña’s opinion.”
Aquino has already informed them of the measures to be taken in 2015 in case El Niño hits the country, he added.
Truck ban and MRT
Lacierda lauded the decision of Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada to lift the truck ban.
“The goods for Christmas are coming,” he said.
“But the important thing is the trucks would have a free rein to remove – to get their goods from the pier and we are removing also the empty containers in the Port of Manila. So that’s being addressed also.”
Lacierda said 48 new MRT coaches are expected to arrive in two years to relieve commuters from long queues.
“They were improving also the ancillary system,” he said.
“When the coaches arrive, train power would be added. The ticketing system would be improved. So all these are part of the projects that we’re doing.”
Repair of power lines
Pro-administration lawmakers asked Malacañang yesterday to allocate P600 million to the National Electrification Administration (NEA) for the reconstruction, repair and rehabilitation of typhoon-hit power lines of electric cooperatives.
Rep. Michael Angelo Rivera of 1-CARE said the figure was based on estimates of the NEA and the Department of Energy (DOE) on Glenda’s damage to substations, sub-transmission lines and distribution lines of numerous electric cooperatives in at least five regions.
Rivera and Representatives Reynaldo Umali of Oriental Mindoro and Rodel Batocabe of Ako Bicol said at least 18 electric cooperatives suffered huge losses due to the destruction of power lines and other infrastructure support for power distributors.
Rivera said based on NEA’s and DOE’s initial assessment, electric cooperatives in Bicol suffered the most damage from Glenda, including the Sorsogon II Electric Cooperative, P122.7 million; Camarines Sur II Electric Cooperative, P89.7 million; Camarines Sur III and Camarines IV Electric Cooperatives, P79 million; APEC, P61 million and Camarines II, P9 million.
Also severely hit were the Batangas I Electric Cooperative (Batelec I), P7.8 million; Batelec II, P24.1 million; First Laguna Electric Cooperative, P3.5 million; Quezon I Electric Cooperative, P45.2 million; Marinduque Electric Cooperative, P8.8 million; Oriental Mindoro Electric Cooperative, P624,441; Zambales II Electric Cooperative, P4.2 million, Peninsula Electric cooperative, P138,000, Pampanga II Electric Cooperative, P1.7 million and Eastern Samar Electric Cooperative, P200,000. – With Paolo Romero