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By Efren L. Danao, Senior Reporter
Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada Jr. apparently is not a
real hot shot in preparing project studies where the Alternative
Energy Corp. of the Philippine National Oil Co. is concerned.
Lozada, a witness in the Senate inquiry into the
$330-million national broadband project, had claimed that he was a
consultant of the National Economic and Development Authority in the
broadband project, the SouthRail rehabilitation and the Philippine
Postal Corp. projects and that a number of his project proposals had
been approved by the Cabinet.
Dr. Rene Velasco, president of the Alternative
Energy Corp., is far from impressed of Lozada’s credentials. He
revealed on the dwIZ radio program “Karambola” Monday that all
that Lozada could offer in seeking a P500-million fund from the
Philippine National Oil Co. for a jatropha project was a mere
five-page presentation.
Lozada was then president of Philippine Forest
Corp., an agency attached to the Department of Environment and
Natural Resources, when he sought the P500-million fund for the
planting of jatropha, an alternative source of diesel fuel.
Velasco said he told Lozada that it was not
possible for Alternative Energy to give him P500 million
for the five-page presentation.
“I told him he should prepare a more
comprehensive presentation. He never came back,” he added.
At the Senate hearing, Lozada had lashed at the
rejection of his proposal for the P500-million jatropha project
while the government was entertaining allegedly overpriced projects
such as the broadband project.
Velasco’s revelation that Lozada had given
mere five pages to back up his project proposal apparently explained
why the proposal was not immediately approved.
“Aside from the five pages, Lozada also showed
us a gallon of what he called jatropha oil,” Velasco said.
Rep. Salvador Escudero 2nd of Sorsogon, one of
the “Karambola” hosts, agreed on the rejection of the
P500-million project proposal.
“Bubukol,” Escudero said, using a phrase
popularized by Lozada in referring to the alleged overpricing of the
broadband project. The phrase, loosely, means that the five-page
proposal would stink.
Makati City Rep. Teodoro Locsin Jr., also a
co-host of “Karambola,” expressed surprise that PhilForest, the
agency headed by Lozada, should go into the planting of jatropha.
“Planting jatropha is not within the mandate
of PhilForest,” Locsin said.
Velasco agreed.
“PhilForest is attached to the Environment
department, and as far as we know, its work is to open up public
lands,” he said. “It has no mandate but it had even imported
jatropha seeds from India.”
He said the Philippine varieties of jatropha are
more productive than those from India.
“India could produce only 1 to 2 tons of oil
per hectare of jatropha, while our varieties could produce from 6 to
10 tons,” Velasco added.
Locsin said too many government corporations are
doing the same thing. He expressed support for the initiative of
Speaker Prospero Nograles Jr. to clearly define the mandates of
government-owned and -controlled corporations to prevent overlapping
of functions.
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