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Today is
Philippine Independence Day. Long Live the Philippines!
After a
prolonged wait of almost four years, the Commission on
Appointments (CA) finally gave me a passing grade on
June 4, to which I suspect that the Holy Spirit had come
to bless me that memorable day. I was very thankful for
the surprisingly lighthearted endorsements that
opposition senators offered me in an unsolicited gesture
of goodwill and statesmanship.
Sen.
Panfilo Lacson said in his endorsement that he admired
my tenacity and dedication for hard work, even if we had
disagreed on a number of things in the past. Sen.
Jinggoy Estrada hoped for a good and fulfilling life for
me in my senior years, to which I am most grateful. I
was deeply touched by the friendship and kind words of
Senator Ponce Enrile, of Senator Santiago, of Senator
Gordon and all the other members of the commission. To
the congressmen who rooted for me, my former colleagues
in the House, I will always treasure your friendship and
support. To all those who supported me, who prayed for
my confirmation, including my staff, the officers and
employees of the Department of Justice, thank you all. I
am most grateful.
****
In
yesterday’s session of the Senate, my appointment as
secretary of justice, which was confirmed by the CA on
Wednesday, was finally approved by the plenary,
finalizing the democratic process as mandated by the
Constitution. In a manner of sorts, this, too, is my
Independence Day.
****
For the
first time since 1992, an oil-field development project
in the country will start to deliver the precious
mineral in the Galoc oil field. Its estimated daily
output will be at around 17,000 to 20,000 barrels of
premium oil, comparable to the
Dubai sweet crude, up to December this year. The reserves,
estimated at between 10 million and 20 million barrels
of premium oil, will generate some $1.4 billion in
foreign-exchange savings in its two-year life span.
Meanwhile, Philippine National Oil Co.-Exploration Corp.
(PNOC-EC) is intent on developing the Camago-Malampaya
oil leg in its bid to boost the efforts of the
government to bring down oil and power rates. The PNOC-EC
is talking with contractors for possible tie-ups, in
consultation with the Department of Energy, to
jump-start its mobilization. All these concentrated
efforts are designed to find ways to tap local fuel and
power sources to lower oil and power rates. There are
other similar programs which the government is pursuing,
and this is merely to demonstrate how serious the
President is in extricating the country from the mercy
of oil-producing countries and from the nagging power
problem. This time, we are looking for long-term
solutions, from which generations after ours will
continue to benefit.
****
Even as
we write, media practitioner Cecilia “Ces” Drilon of the
ABS-CBN group is still being held captive by Abu Sayyaf
bandits, together with her cameramen. The Abu Sayyaf
unit led by Albader Parad had lowered the ransom demand
to P10 million “billeting fees,” and this only goes to
show how expensive it is to deal with the Abu Sayyaf.
Whoever may be the kidnap victims, the government is
always under pressure to effect the release of the
victims and the capture of the perpetrators.
Nevertheless, it is the duty of all citizens to provide
government agencies with information as to the location
and identifies of the kidnappers. This is also a warning
to other eager journalists to weigh their options and
evaluate the risks before plunging deep into unknown
territory for the sake of a byline. There are other ways
to get a story, uncorrupted and unedited. To hope to
present only one side of a story is unfair to other
parties, and it might result in uncomfortable
situations. Be wary, be careful.
****
Good
news to all Manila Electric Co. customers: There will be
a projected P0.64 per kilowatt-hour reduction in your
monthly bill this year, to which the President has given
her support, and which will soon be realized for the
consumers’ benefit. This is just the start of something
more lasting. Let’s keep our fingers crossed. But let s
not forget the overcharging, the trust deposits, the
projected refunds, the transparency that customers and
stockholders demand. One good news does not offset other
issues. |
