Cabinet energy group meets to tackle power rate cut (11:10 a.m.)
MANILA — Malacañang ordered the Cabinet-level energy study group to convene on Thursday to address the issue of bringing down power rates.
Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said he called up Finance Secretary Margarito Teves, who is the head of the economic team, and told him to immediately convene the Cabinet group in compliance with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s instructions to come up with a study and recommend measures on how to lower power rates.
Ermita said the economic team would consider the points raised in the Cabinet meeting by Manila Electric Company (Meralco) president Jesus Francisco and board member Christian Monsod and Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) president and general manager Winston Garcia.
He said the other Cabinet members who would help out the Cabinet group are Secretary to the Cabinet Ricardo Saludo and Philippine Information Agency (PIA) director general Conrado Limcaoco. Arroyo included acting Higher Education chairman Romulo Neri in the study group.
He said Limcaoco was tapped so that the government’s information arm would be able to effectively communicate the issue to the public.
Chief presidential legal counsel Sergio Antonio Apostol said the creation of the Cabinet study group is not meant to persecute Meralco.
Apostol added the issue of irregularities and the feud among stockholders would be up to Garcia and the other stockholders of the power firm.
“The members of the study group will be fair, that’s why the President trusted them to handle this,” he said. (JMR/Sunnex)
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