Ex-envoy fights city hall
It’s a no-win situation for Energy Secretary Jericho Petilla if he gets into an argument with Sen. Serge Osmeña in public over the latter’s statement that he is a lousy manager.
Osmeña alleges Petilla was responsible for the energy crisis in Mindanao.
If Icot Petilla talks back in public to the senator, who’s in a fighting mood, he’ll end up being summoned by the Senate committee on energy that Osmeña chairs.
At the committee hearing, the senator and his colleagues might probably gang up on the energy secretary.
Worse, he could end up being bypassed again for confirmation by the powerful Commission on Appointments (CA) of which Osmeña is also a member.
The best way for the yet-to-be confirmed energy secretary is to talk to the senator in private and explain how the energy crisis in Mindanao came about and why the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) rate increase was voided by the Energy Regulatory Commission.
Osmeña has said of Petilla: “He’s a very intelligent, well-trained fellow but his focus is on politics.”
The senator is a very reasonable man and if Petilla explains his side on the two controversies—the Mindanao power crisis and the voiding of the Meralco rate hike—he will understand.
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Something smells fishy in the forthcoming bidding for the supply and delivery of three multi-purpose attack craft (MPAC) to the Navy.
The Department of Defense (DND) bids and awards committee has omitted the Lloyd’s of London’s certification of approval that would make the three at par with MPACs of other countries.
The Lloyd’s Register of Shipping is very strict about certifying special service craft.
Without Lloyd’s certification, any company which makes substandard craft can take part in the bidding and might win.
Look what happened to the six MPACs the Navy bought in the previous years: Three are out of service, two are being repaired in a Cebu shipyard and the third is reportedly either in Zamboanga or Palawan, but is seldom used.
It looks like it’s the Navy’s version of the ghost deliveries of the police V-150 armored vehicles.
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Former Ambassador Tony Cabangon-Chua is doing something most businessmen like him would never do: fight city hall.
He has filed graft charges against Dagupan City Mayor Belen Fernandez, City Treasurer Romelita Alcantara and City Engineer Ma. Virginia Rosario.
Chua says he’s had enough of the officials’ withholding his right to do business in their city.
Chua’s AmbALC Holdings and Management Inc. bought McAdore Hotel in the city which it registered with Dagupan City Hall as the new owner of the hotel.
AmbALC Holdings received a tax declaration from the city treasurer’s office for the payment of real estate property tax for the McAdore Hotel properties, which the company promptly paid, according to Chua.
But the checks for the payment were returned by the city treasurer’s office which had issued official receipts for the payment.
It seems the city government wants to make it appear that the hotel is not paying taxes to pave the way for its closure, Chua says.
