People, power, sword and cross

DIE HARD III

Herman Tiu Laurel

11/21/2007

Empower, the coalition of anti-power rate increase and anti-privatization organizations, held a two-day conference at the College of Social Work and Development and Community Development at the UP. New insights emerged, such as the fact that power privatization and/or deregulation has not been instituted in 36 of the 50 states of the USA. In the 14 states that privatization and deregulation have been implemented, power rates are all higher than in the 36 still under public regulation and/or ownership. The best example of a great privatization and deregulation power swindle is seen in the $5-billion California Enron scam that sent its executive to jail.

Eighty-five million Filipino power consumers have been made guinea pigs in an inhuman experiment: President of Ntional Power Corp. (Napocor), Cyril del Callar, says he still believes in power privatization while admitting that he’s still a “student” of its unfolding development. What right did he and his ilk have to privatize power here while they are still “studying” it? They implemented privatization without fully knowing its consequences! No one is unaware of the fact that privatization here has created the highest power cost in Asia, but Del Callar is still studying it? Enron’s $50-billion California power swindle was exposed since 2001 and Del Callar wasn’t aware? But privatization in the Philippines continued to proceed.

This writer and many of the same minds started the crusade against power privatization since 1999 when early experiments in the US and other Third World countries such as India, in the Maharathra state which sought to cancel its Enron contract, showed its utter disastrous results. Del Callar is supposed to be an “expert” and hence tasked to head Napocor, and he didn’t know any of these early warning signs? Del Callar should be honest and admit that he is just taking advantage of a lucrative job despite the knowledge that privatization would be a big swindle of the country’s power consumers — like most Cabinet members of Gloria and trapos in Congress.

Electricity privatizations, as are the other privatizations, are nothing but economic plunder and sabotage; part of a complex strategy of domination and exploitation starting with support of Edsa I, the cancellation of the perfectly good Bataan Nuclear Power Plant in order to create the power shortage, the ascension of Carlyle’s FVR who ushered in the IPPs. This was the globalization strategy of the Western powers to subjugate hoodwinked victims such as naïve Filipinos led by the nose by “leaders” under the control and influence of the West — such as West Point man Fidel, and captive economists such as three globalization zombies from UP and La Salle Liling Briones, Peter U and Ernesto Pernia.

Our country is in the grip of a caboodle of Fidel Ramoses implementing the diktats of globalization for personal power, First World level pay and glory that comes with that. The servitude of the articulate sectors such as academics and media professionals is particularly important, for with their surrender society loses its ability and voice to reflect on the crisis — 85 million people who cannot fathom and articulate why they must suffer the highest power cost in Asia and the exploitative system imposing it. The electricity crisis of the people is a focal point of the nation’s crisis, and it illustrates the entire critical situation the country faces.

The country is in desperate crisis: bishops, lay people, soldiers, workers, ordinary citizens, rich and poor are active in meetings, conferences, debates and rallies laying out different pathways to change, such as Resign Gloria-Noli, and they’re not waiting for 2010. Amid the crisis, the hankering for change and new leaders is increasing. One reader calls the leaders being sought “banner holders” to deliver the nation not only from the oppressive Arroyo regime, but also for liberation from the exploitative socio-economic system prevailing — the “status quo” he says.

But there are countless pretenders to be “banner holders:” trapos of all shades, leftists, rightists, preachers, thieves.

One pretender is the FDNR group that released the full-page ad in the Inquirer last Tuesday promising to “install Nationalist Democratic Reforms” soon. The group has a track record of preemptive media blitz and small actions to anticipate rumored coups. The group’s move yesterday indicates a high level of coup fever in the air these days, and it is hoping to capture the limelight and claim credit for the coup if ever one really occurs. They learned from riding on the Edsa II coup that being identified as successful coup leadership participants can reap them rewards in government positions, contracts and consultancies — however, they got fired; but now hope to ride again the next coup.

A more considered view of new leadership needed to change the status quo posits this: sword and cross, i.e. military and religious leadership combined. The proponent identified the combination of Trillanes and Fr. Ed Panlilio as the ideal. After mulling the idea, I had to add another element — the people. Although both Trillanes and Father Ed have a mass of national and local voters behind them, that may not be enough to win a national presidential election yet nor lead a revolutionary government to success. That’s where Erap’s support from the masa counts enormously. With them, a new nationalist government cadre will be needed. With the sword and the cross, the people shall overcome and win.

(Tune to 1098AM, M-W-F, 6 to 7 p.m.)

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