What alternative to
geothermal power?

It seems that some environmentalists are so avidly sold to the idea that despite evidence that the PNOC had done a better job of reforesting areas in Valencia and Tongonan in Leyte, they just are opposing the entry of PNOC-EDC into a small portion of the Kanlaon Natural Park.

But now it has become so apparent that objection is creating havoc with the power need of Negros Occidental, especially the Ceneco service area, that they sound ridiculous. Until now, they have not come up with any proposal on what alternative power they want to come up with.

That’s the problem with objectors. They are fast on the take in hurling criticisms against a government project, but fail to come up with alternative solutions to a problem.

Of course, it is easy to say that wind power, etc. are desirable. But can they point to any investor who is willing to put up these power plants? Meanwhile, they wish the consumers to remain deprived of badly-needed electricity.

They close their eyes to the reality that PNOC-EDC has done great guns for the population of Mailum in Bago City. Unfortunately, they just can’t dun the PNOC officials what they are signaling should be done.

Well, each to his own devices.

* * *

The Ombudsman Visayas should be able to get the reply of the Bacolod City officials to the suit filed against them by retired police officer Vicente Eduardo.

Eduardo is a determined person. And he is not going to relent until the Ombudsman can undertake its investigation into the charges he had brought against the city officials.

Local officials should thank Eduardo for what he has been doing. It was wrong for them to have dismissed the retired policeman. A tactical mistake. Eduardo will go through the ordeal of filing the charges and waiting for government action on his suits.

By now, I thought City legal officer Allan Zamora had already readied the defense of the city officials. But, apparently, he must have taken Eduardo lightly. But the cases filed against the city officials will once and for all determine whether they had done wrong or not. In short, they are given the chance to seek absolution or face the consequences of what they had done.

* * *

The Silay City police should crack down hard on Delia Acerada, an employee of the city water district, who was arrested by the police in an entrapment operation for illegal recruitment and the anti-trafficking of persons.

Supt. Roderick Alba said Acerada had not been licensed by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration to recruit workers for overseas employment.

Acedera, according to Alba, was also the subject of complaints from several persons from Bacolod, not only of Silay City.

Acerada, however, denied having engaged in illegal recruitment.

Due to the rampant recruitment of Negrenses, especially minors, who work aboard or in Manila and other Luzon provinces, it is time that the police undertake a more intensive campaign against illegal trafficking. And the only way to stop it is to throw the book against those who victimize Negrenses especially young girls.

* * *

Transco and Ceneco finally took time out to publish in full the schedules of their repair work on transmission lines.

For the past weeks, Ceneco consumers found themselves suddenly caught in the vise of brownouts which are announced. Often, the outages occur in the area other than those announced earlier.

The most important thing to remember is simple. A service agency is supposed to extend its service to consumers. And when it fails to do that, perhaps it is time that power consumers finally file charges against the Transco and Ceneco officials. That should teach them a lesson not to take for granted the power users.

* * *

So the prices of bread and other pastries are going up. So with other food items. And so with rice. And the government still keeps the public confused on the rice situation. Is there a shortage or not? Why all the strident press releases over the issue? And nothing seems to have been done about it.

Have the imports arrived? Or are they on the way? When are they coming in? There is the funny thing. Agriculture secretary Arthur Yap keeps getting crossed signals from Malacañang every day.

And with the releases of billions of pesos for the rice production expansion, where have the money gone? Perhaps, it is time that an ongoing accounting be undertaken by the government to show the people that the money is not ending up in the wrong pockets.

The other question: Who are the NFA personnel and officials charged with failing to live up to their obligations and working in cahoots with unscrupulous rice traders?*

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