The executives of the RPE in charge of its coal-fired power plant have insulted the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority by snubbing its forums for “social acceptability.”
The RPE and the executives of its mother company, Meralco and Aboitiz Group, claim that
there is no need to attend SBMA consultation forums with residents, LGUs, businessmen and other stakeholders in the Subic Bay Area because the law does not require owners of private projects to consult with anybody.
This a horrible attitude.
But it comes from their knowledge that the central government of our country seems committed to helping them build their coal-fored 300MW power plant despite the objections of the Olongapo City Council and government, the Zambales provincial council and government, two dozen-plus nongovernment organizations, residents and businesses (especially tourism related companies).
We have said this before and we repeat it.
Why don’t the board of directors and management of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority simply cancel the Lease and Development Agreement between it and the corporation called Redondo Peninsula Energy Inc.?
The project is shrouded with suspicions of impropriety.
Credible personalities in Subic and Olongapo are suggesting that the pre-Aquino Administration SBMA management’s recommendation and the board decision to approve it on June 4, 2010 was a “midnight deal” that should be investigated.
Subic and Olongapo residents, supported by businessmen and locators in the Subic Freeport, have demonstrated against the project to build a 300 megawatt coal-fired power plant in Sitio Naglatore, Barangay Cawag, Subic, Zambales, and its expansion to a 600 MW facility.
Last July 18, answering a query from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) whether it is true, as the Manila Bulletin had reported, that “The entry of the Pangilinan-led Meralco in the coal-fired Subic
power plant would pave the way for the expansion of the 300-megawatt coal-fired power plant into a 600-mw with investments of almost $1 billion for the entire project” a Meralco vice-president replied that it could indeed confirm that sentence.
But he said he could not confirm other matters mentioned by then SBMA Administrator Armand Arreza about the Redondo Peninsula Energy Inc. (RPEI) project and the shareholdings in it of the Aboitiz Group and Taiwan Cogeneration Corp. (TCC).
The TTC was originally the main player in this project, which was the subject of a memorandum of understanding that the SBMA and TCC signed on July 28 2006. What was to be set up was a joint venture. The Aboitiz Group and TCC were partners in the joint venture with SBMA.
What surprised people monitoring the deal is that the project immediately got an Environmental Clearance Certificate from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
Also questionable was why the Arroyo-regime SBMA management quickly issued business permits and licenses to the project proponents—without meeting the social acceptability requirements in the laws and rules governing coal-fired power stations.
The “social acceptability” requirement demands that proper consultations be made with stakeholders, people in the communities that would be affected by the project, businesses that might suffer—like tourism related enterprises, people’s associations and civil society organizations and local government units.
The local stakeholders must be apprised of what the project is all about. Their opinions must be heard and duly registered and considered before any approving authority can give clearances and permits.
These were not done.
The RPE and the executives of its mother company, Meralco and Aboitiz Group, claim that
there is no need to attend SBMA consultation forums with residents, LGUs, businessmen and other stakeholders in the Subic Bay Area because the law does not require owners of private projects to consult with anybody.
This a horrible attitude.
But it comes from their knowledge that the central government of our country seems committed to helping them build their coal-fored 300MW power plant despite the objections of the Olongapo City Council and government, the Zambales provincial council and government, two dozen-plus nongovernment organizations, residents and businesses (especially tourism related companies).
We have said this before and we repeat it.
Why don’t the board of directors and management of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority simply cancel the Lease and Development Agreement between it and the corporation called Redondo Peninsula Energy Inc.?
The project is shrouded with suspicions of impropriety.
Credible personalities in Subic and Olongapo are suggesting that the pre-Aquino Administration SBMA management’s recommendation and the board decision to approve it on June 4, 2010 was a “midnight deal” that should be investigated.
Subic and Olongapo residents, supported by businessmen and locators in the Subic Freeport, have demonstrated against the project to build a 300 megawatt coal-fired power plant in Sitio Naglatore, Barangay Cawag, Subic, Zambales, and its expansion to a 600 MW facility.
Last July 18, answering a query from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) whether it is true, as the Manila Bulletin had reported, that “The entry of the Pangilinan-led Meralco in the coal-fired Subic
power plant would pave the way for the expansion of the 300-megawatt coal-fired power plant into a 600-mw with investments of almost $1 billion for the entire project” a Meralco vice-president replied that it could indeed confirm that sentence.
But he said he could not confirm other matters mentioned by then SBMA Administrator Armand Arreza about the Redondo Peninsula Energy Inc. (RPEI) project and the shareholdings in it of the Aboitiz Group and Taiwan Cogeneration Corp. (TCC).
The TTC was originally the main player in this project, which was the subject of a memorandum of understanding that the SBMA and TCC signed on July 28 2006. What was to be set up was a joint venture. The Aboitiz Group and TCC were partners in the joint venture with SBMA.
What surprised people monitoring the deal is that the project immediately got an Environmental Clearance Certificate from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
Also questionable was why the Arroyo-regime SBMA management quickly issued business permits and licenses to the project proponents—without meeting the social acceptability requirements in the laws and rules governing coal-fired power stations.
The “social acceptability” requirement demands that proper consultations be made with stakeholders, people in the communities that would be affected by the project, businesses that might suffer—like tourism related enterprises, people’s associations and civil society organizations and local government units.
The local stakeholders must be apprised of what the project is all about. Their opinions must be heard and duly registered and considered before any approving authority can give clearances and permits.
These were not done.
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