House energy panel chair open to senatorial bid

A CONGRESSMAN and brother of beleaguered Liberal Party treasurer Alfonso Umali said he is not closing the doors on becoming senator and that the Senate needs more lawmakers who are knowledgeable about the power sector.

Speaking to reporters at the sidelines of the tour around Manila Electric Company’s (Meralco) newest facility Power Lab, Oriental Mindoro Representative Reynaldo Umali said the senatorial position chooses the right person and not the other way around.

“It’s the position that seeks the man, and not the man that seeks the position… If I am smart, (I won’t run) because I am running unopposed in Oriental Mindoro… But I’m not closing my doors. Let’s see in the next couple of months,” said Umali, chair of the House energy committee and co-chair of the Joint Congressional Power Commission.

Umali said he believes he is capable as a lawmaker of the LP for senator, but he said there are more projects that he could focus on as Oriental Mindoro Representative. He can still run for a third term in 2016.

“I think I have demonstrated my capability as an LP lawmaker… There are a lot more other things I need to do and accomplish for Mindoro. Hopefully like in the last elections, unopposed pa rin ako,” Umali said.

Umali said a senatorial team-up with Energy Secretary Jericho Petilla is “ideal” to have public officials with background on the energy sector to be part of the Senate. Petilla is also reported to be eyeing the senatorial spot.

“I think we have to make better policy makers out of many lawmakers that we have para mas maintindihan how important power is to development,” Umali said.

Umali is the brother of LP Treasurer Oriental Mindoro Governor Alfonso Umali, who was convicted to 10 years for graft by the Sandiganbayan for facilitating a P2.5 million loan from government coffers to a ship owner for private use when he was a provincial administrator in 1994.

Governor Umali was also accused of receiving a P100 million payoff from alleged Chinese crime lord Wang Bo supposedly to stop the latter’s deportation. A newspaper report also claimed that the Chinese was used to raise funds for the Liberal Party and to bribe lawmakers into supporting the Bangsamoro Basic Law, an allegation denied by House leaders and which prompted the congressional investigation

Representative Umali also denied the accusations against his brother.

“He’s not affected a bit kasi alam niyang hindi totoo.. He just wants to focus on his work as governor and as LP treasurer,” Rep. Umali said. AC