'Erap misinformed on P10-billion calamity fund for Mindanao'

MANILA, Philippines - Presidential son Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo yesterday clarified that former President Joseph Estrada was misinformed regarding the P10 billion allocation for the calamity fund to address the power crisis in Mindanao where a rotating brownout of 10-12 hours daily is being enforced.

Arroyo, who heads the House committee on energy, reminded Estrada that it was his party-mate, Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez who proposed the allocation for the leasing of generators, which the former president found to be “overpriced.”

“I believe he (Estrada) was misinformed this time on the issue of the calamity fund for the Mindanao power crisis. It was based on the recommendation of the multi-sectoral group in Mindanao during the House energy committee hearing in Davao City last week,” Arroyo said.

Rodriguez, who also belongs to Estrada’s Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino, is allied with the opposition bloc in the House of Representatives.

Arroyo said Rodriguez’s proposal to his committee, with regard to the fund allocations, was duly seconded by South Cotabato Rep. Darlene Antonino-Custodio.

“Rodriguez was firm on his motion asking for the P10 billion calamity fund to be released to the Department of Energy to solve the island’s energy problem – in his own words “unleash the fund needed to solve this crisis,” he quoted him as saying.

Estrada said the proposed allocation was way over the needed funds required to come up with the needed amount of energy that would solve the Mindanao power crisis.

State of calamity  in Mindanao

Estrada said that of the P10 billion, P4.5 billion will be allotted to agriculture while the remaining P5.5 billion will be used to lease 160 modular generators with a one megawatt capacity each.

Estrada questioned the proposal. “Why are we preparing for only 160 megawatts, when the deficit is 600 to 750 megawatts?”

He said that based on his computation and consultation with his former Energy Secretary Mario Tiaoqui, he discovered that only P2.1 billion and not P5.5 billion is needed to lease generator sets that can produce 160 megawatts of power.

Following the declaration of the state of calamity in Mindanao last week, the lawmaker-son of President Arroyo yesterday said there is no more need for Congress to convene a special session and grant his mother emergency powers to address the power crisis.

“Perhaps we don’t need special session anymore,” said Pampanga Rep. Arroyo, chairman of the energy committee of the House of Representatives, which earlier approved a resolution calling for a special session.

The eldest son of Mrs. Arroyo hinted the DOE, the National Power Corp. and the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management could coordinate with the private sector and encourage them to provide generators to plug the power shortage.