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By Efren L. Danao, Senior Reporter
The Joint Congressional Power Commission (PowerCom)
co-chaired by Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago and Rep. Mikey Arroyo of
Pampanga will summon representatives of the Joint Foreign Chambers
of Commerce to explain their opposition to the amendment of the
Electric Power Industry Reform Act (Epira).
Santiago announced the PowerCom hearing on
Monday after senators led by Juan Ponce Enrile scored the joint
chambers for calling for a status quo on the Epira.
The joint chambers wrote a letter to President
Gloria Arroyo warning that amending the power reform law would be a
disincentive to prospective foreign investors in the power sector.
The senators, who were divided in the row between Meralco and the
Government Service Insurance System, were one in denouncing the
stand of the foreign chambers.
“They are in effect pressuring the government
not to recognize efforts of the people’s representatives to ease
their burden of high power rates,” Enrile said in a privileged
speech.
Enrile, sponsor of the bill amending Epira, said
that the foreign chambers of commerce, whom he described as
“carpetbaggers,” already know the high cost of electricity in
the country and that the people are suffering from it.
“I don’t mind their making reasonable profit
but when they ask us not to touch their source of profit that is
burdening our people, that I detest. We want investors but not the
predatory Enron-type,” Enrile added.
Sen. Joker Arroyo said that the joint chambers
is virtually asking Congress not to touch a law that is not working.
“The twin objectives of Epira were to reduce
the indebtedness of Napocor and reduce power rates. After seven
years, Napcor obligations had even increased, while power rates had
not been reduced. If Epira is not working, why are the foreign
chambers asking us not to touch it?” Arroyo asked.
Power reform law
not working
Sen. Mar Roxas also questioned the stand of the
joint chambers.
“Conventional wisdom tells us that Epira is
not working. Maybe they know something that we don’t know,” he
said.
Sen. Edgardo Angara said the claim of the joint
chambers that amending the power reform law would be a disincentive
to investors in the power industry is “totally false.”
“In fact, the law itself is preventing honest
investors from coming in,” he said.
Enrile said that contrary to the fears of the
joint chambers, any amendment to Epira would not affect existing
contracts, including the much-criticized take-or-pay provisions in
contracts awarded to independent power producers.
He claimed that in one year alone, an
independent power producer charged consumers P12 billion for power
that consumers did not receive.
Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr.
supported the inquiry by the PowerCom, but cautioned against too
much emotionalism on the issue.
“When we adhered to the policies of the World
Trade Organization, we opened our country to the influx of people
with different views. But of course, we should not allow ourselves
to be bamboozled by these foreign chambers of commerce,” he said.
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