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Exit plan?

MR. EXPOSE

Amb. Ernesto Maceda

05/13/2008

The plan to take over Meralco was hatched as early as January 2006, as part of an exit plan for GMA. It was meant to lower electricity rates to help “deodorize” GMA’s bad image. That by itself is not objectionable. But why only Meralco to reduce prices? Why not Petron to reduce oil prices? It will take less money to buy the 40-percent Saudi Aramco stake. But no Petron yesterday waived its preemptive right to match the Ashmore offer, a company represented in the Philippines by Roberto “Bobby” Ongpin, a close associate of FG Mike Arroyo There are reports Ashmore is just fronting for a big Filipino investor.

Unfortunately for GMA, with the spiraling of rice and food prices resulting in an 8.3 percent inflation rate, reducing electricity rates will not deodorize her anymore. It’s too late. It’s less than two years to the 2010 elections. Even in her hometown of Iligan City, people are shouting “Patalsikin si Gloria.”

Odd. Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye announced his departure from his present Cabinet post and his appointment to the Monetary Board. He also said he will announce his successor soon. That’s odd. Shouldn’t it be GMA to make the announcement?

Why only to the Monetary Board? That’s certainly a big demotion. He could have been appointed as chairman of the Civil Service Commission or on the Commission of Human Rights (CHR), both Constitutional bodies. Or Ambassador to China. Or if his interest is really to go back to banking, he could have gone back to BPI or any Ayala financial firm. That would have been more face-saving.

It’s a sad day for my brod, Toting Bunye. After the two Garci tapes announcement, it was downhill for Toting. He should have taken friends’ advice to resign as early as 2005. Anyway, good luck Toting.

Leila de Lima should have been appointed to the Comelec, not CHR.

Good question for the VP. My good friend Ducky Paredes of the Malaya is asking a valid question: “Why is Vice President Noli de Castro silent on the issue of reducing electricity rates? Is he still beholden to the Lopezes? Is he hoping for their big financial support in 2010?”

The necessary next question: If Noli becomes President, will he be beholden to the Lopezes?

Also, is he expecting GMA’s support in 2010, or is he running as an “independent?” His position on the Meralco takeover and the high price of electricity issue should help answer these questions.

Ducky Paredes asks: “What is really keeping the Vice President from taking up the cause of the millions for poor Filipinos suffering from high food and power prices?”

Bottomless pit. The ANC TV show Runaways chronicles the many stories of abuse, including rape of OFWs in Jordan. This is true also in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Lebanon and other Middle East countries. These sad stories have been happening for the last 30 years or so, and all administrations have failed to prevent the recurrence of these abuses.

Worse, the recruiters who sent them have not been charged, much less have their licenses been revoked.

Most reprehensible is the inability of the Philippine government to bring home the hundreds at the Embassy centers due to “lack of funds.” With GMA spending billions, it is difficult to understand why not enough funds are released by DoLE, OWWA or DFA to bring the women home. It takes less than P100,000 to bring an OFW home. Many more in Kuwait.

There is a ban on deployment of OFWs to Jordan but because of corruption in the Bureau of Immigration and Deportation, the OFWs are able to clear immigration and are even “escorted” in NAIA to board their planes. Many of the departing OFWs use fake passports and their ability to leave surely means that Immigration agents are in cahoots.

The TV report also records the complaint of the OFWs in Jordan that Philippine Embassy and DoLE officials appear to be more protective of the Jordan labor recruiters than the abused OFWs.

Will GMA take action now or is she to busy visiting the beaches of Boracay, Siargao, Mindoro, Palawan and Caramoan?

Same enthusiasm. After seven years, former President Joseph “Erap” Estrada visited Cagayan de Oro and Iligan last Thursday and Friday. It is Erap’s first trip to Mindanao. It was a test of how people in that far away region would react to Erap. Hosts Representatives Rufus Rodriguez (Cagayan de Oro, 2nd district), Vicent “Varf Belmonte, (Lanao del Norte, 1st district), Vice Mayor Dy and Vice Mayor Vicente “Donkoy” Emano were unanimous in observing the enthusiastic welcome and the big crowds that greeted Erap in both cities were impressive. In Cagayan de Oro, Erap’s motorcade had to stop six times as the huge crowd blocked its path. In Iligan, the crowd shouted for Erap to continue speaking when he started to say he was ending his speech. Erap was also warmly received by the Dairy Industry Convention where he spent more than an hour posing for pictures with delegates who came from all over the country.

The wild reception in Iligan was significant as it is GMA’s ancestral home.

Former Governor of Misamis Oriental, Donkoy Emano, said it all: “If Erap runs for President, it will be a landslide!”

In press conferences held in both cities, most questions were focused on the present rice and food crises. In both cities, the price of commercial rice ranged from P33-40 per kilo. In both cities, questions about federalism and Cha-cha were asked to which President Erap answered “Let’s focus first on the rice and food shortage before we talk of Cha-cha.”

Cardinal concern. After banning gays from becoming sagalas in Flores de Mayo processions, Gaudencio “Cardinal” Rosales has come out with another startling proposal. He suggests wastebaskets for cars and buses.

Your Eminence, how about wastebaskets in church doors? How about calling attention to the waste in government? How about supporting Gov. Ed Panlilio’s request for a “jueteng free” Cop Chief for Pampanga? How about the wastage of Filipinos hooked on the more than a dozen casinos in your Archdiocese? How about banning the use of air conditioners in churches to save on electrical wastage?

And finally, how about attending to more important concerns like populations, corruption, drugs and prostitution among Catholic youths?

Maybe it’s time to appoint a younger, more progressive thinking Archbishop of Manila. After all, the good Cardinal Rosales is past retirement age.

Tidbits. GMA lost more support in her visit to Caramoan, Camarines Sur. After asking all the mayors and barangay officials to troop to Caramoan to welcome her, she left after a 10-minutes speech without shaking hands or having her picture taken with local officials... Mayor Constantino Jaraulla, (LDP) snubbed President Erap’s arrival in Cagayan de Oro. Former Gov. Antonio “Bong” Calingin attended the lunch at the Grand Caprice... Koresco Hotel, a Korean owned new hotel in Cagayan de Oro is also boasting of an 18-hole golf course. FG usually stays there... three NPA rebels were killed in a clash with elements of the 9th Infantry Division in Capalonga, Camarines Norte... When the House of Representatives opened last July, JdV boasted that the attendance was about 180 in every session day. In less than a year, absenteeism has returned and only 50 congressmen are now seen in the Session Hall. Didn’t Speaker Boy Nograles promise reforms? It seems that reforms are going the other way... LTO administrators Bert Suansing told us Willie Revillame refuses to pay tax on his Ferrari. So, confiscate it, Sir... After two years the $500 million Northrail project has yet to start. Why, they are redesigning the project... DepEd Secretary Jesli Lapus proposes to punish parents who do not send their kids to school. Good idea Mr. Secretary, if you can give them money for transportation and baon. This plan is definitely anti-poor... Banco de Oro projects its profit this year to increase to P7.4 billion. I insist the banks are making too much profit, contributing to high prices everywhere... The NPAs gave AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr. another send-off when 35 rebels stormed a Globe Telecom cell tower in Pancho, Davao del Norte, and shot dead former Barangay chairman of Cornonan, Sta. Cruz in Davao de Sur. Earlier, the NPAs executed Paterno Intes in Kapatagan, Digos City. Col. Ariel Querubin described Esperon’s 22 month stint as the worst in AFP history... Lt. Gen. Alxander Yano who comes from Sindangan, Zamboanga del Norte replaced Gen. Esperon yesterday. Yano started on the wrong foot by promising to end the insurgency by 2010 which is highly unlikely.