The Philippine Online Chronicles

Philippine president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is reportedly set to exercise her emergency powers to address the “looming” and PR-driven power crisis in Mindanao. Despite overwhelming public and even Congressional opposition, Mrs. Arroyo is determined to exercise presidential powers to effectively answer the problem caused, as what we are being led to believe, by a natural phenomenon.

The question which is being asked by many is why use emergency powers when the very core solution lies not in the realm of human capabilities? Employing gasoline or coal-fired generators are the proposed solutions and you need a president to be able to deploy such units in Mindanao? You want the boss to do a subaltern’s job?

Signing contracts for generator sets need close presidential supervision? That is the job of the president’s alter-ego, Energy secretary Angelo Reyes. Apart from signing contracts for the deployment of emergency generator sets, what more will the President of the Republic do? Monitor if all these generators work? Ensure that engineers are on hand to do repair work once some or all of these generators conk out? Or police the area where these generators are? Such things are beneath the status of the president.

Seems like the scenario is being played out in the mainstream media to justify a convening of Congress for a special session, a move which some calls a desperate measure to prolong the existence of this illicit administration. Deputy palace spokesperson Ricardo Saludo said that after the declaration of an emergency by Arroyo, Congress has to automatically convene itself to discuss the rules on how to implement emergency measures. A calling of a special session could be used for purposes other than addressing the so-called “acute” power crisis happening not just in Mindanao but also in Luzon and the Visayas.

A special session could be used by the administration to allow the passage of the Constitutional convention bill and other controversial measures pending in the House. Or, as some say, could be timed to convene after the retirement of Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff General Victor Ibrado, as a way to mis-direct the public’s attention to the expected revamp of the military establishment. Members of PMA Class 1978, the class which adopted Mrs. Arroyo, is poised to grab power from the governing class.

Nacionalista party bet Manny Villar has a different view. He says this could be part of a sinister plan to influence the forthcoming elections, the first automated one in history. Villar did not say much except that these power out-tages are “worrisome” because the automated elections depend on electricity which is now the subject of concern by the government. Is Villar accusing the government of indirectly forcing out a manual-type of elections, that is more suitable for fraud and manipulation?

Even with an ample supply of power, the automated elections can be “hacked” says Senatorial aspirant Joey de Venecia III. A pioneer in the information technology sector in the Philippines, Joey knows what he’s talking about. Joey says one only needs thirty red hats to be able to hack twenty percent (20%) of the precincts in the country, an ample number already that is sure to directly affect the outcome of the elections.

If it is not the elections then, what is the real reason why government is so a-gog in declaring an emergency power crisis? Simple. This emergency measure addresses an acute problem related to campaign funds. It is a known fact that the administration party is in dire need of funds, as admitted by Lakas-Kampi party spokesman Francis Manglapus. Contracts entered into by government through an emergency do not require stricter auditing or closer DBM supervision. Release of funds will be faster than projects or contracts entered under “normal conditions”.

Apart from this, convening of Congress will allow the passage of certain bills, not necessarily those related to cha-cha but more of those which were “lobbied” for passage by powerful business interests. Are we then seeing a repeat of the fertilizer fund scam?

Patricio Mangubat is a pseudonym . It means "country fight". Yet, the one behind this name is real. He can be briefly described as a long-time activist as well as a communication strategist. He once taught at the University of the Philippines and at Dela Salle University. He blogs at The New Philippine Revolution. Aside from writing, he recently opened a roast chicken business, Manok King. He blogs at filipinovoices.com and New Philippine Revolution.

Photo from Le Montage. c/o Flickr. Some Rights Reserved

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