Senator Pimentel: Too late to stop sale of Mindanao hydropower plants

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III urged local governments to make “a lot of noise” to stop the sale of Agus and Pulangi hydro-power plants, a move that Mindanao leaders fear will bring about increased electricity charges on the island.

“They have to increase their lobbying, make a show of force, but still in the end, the Epira law still has to be amended,” Pimentel said in a news conference Wednesday.

Pimentel said he would be filing a bill in the Senate to reflect the sentiments of the people of Mindanao opposed to the impending sale of the Agus and Pulangi hydropower complexes.

“I will file a bill in the Senate to reflect the Mindanao sentiment aired during the recent power summit,” Pimentel said.

But Pimentel said the bill cannot stop the impending sale of the hydropower plants. He said that he learned from the Mindanao Power Summit last week that the sale of the hydropower plants was already “on schedule.”

“I heard it in the summit,” he said.

“Then, we will just wake up one day to discover that the plants are already privatized,” he added.