Palawan to hold “mining summit”

 

Notes from the meeting of the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development, Friday 9/28/2007 at the Provincial Session Hall:

• There are over 300 mining applications, according to the NGO Rep. Offie Bernardino. Vice Gov. Ponce de Leon shrugs it aside, saying he knows of not more than 10 that the Provincial Board had approved. He cautions against “giving an impression that we are approving mining projects left and right.” Later in the meeting, the Council endorses four mining applications with only 1 objection, the NGO rep.
• Joemari Gerochi gangs up on Bernardino’s caveat, sounding more like a spokesman

Rumor ain’t true

There’s no truth to the rumor circulating in Palawan that Comelec chair Ben Abalos brokered the P6 billion Malampaya deal with Governor Joel Reyes and Reps. Abraham Mitra and Antonio Alvarez recently.

The rumor, circulating as a text message, claimed that Abalos invited the three to a golf game and convinced them to take P2 billion each in pork barrel funds in exchange for allowing Malacanang to get a P6 billion pork of its own out of the province’s P12 billion royalty share, by saying: “Mga sir, may 200 kayo dito,”

The rumor monger claimed the amount represents P200 milion as 10 percent kickback from the P2 billion pork kitty of each of the three.

The rumor, as stated, simply ain’t true.

Neri a hesitant hero

Quote of the Day: “Sec, merong kang 200 dito.” (CHED Secretary Romy Neri quoting Comelec chief Ben Abalos)

The drama that unfolded in the Senate today on the NBN payoff hearings and Neri’s formal revelation that he was offered a P200 M bribe by Abalos raised more questions than answers on how involved President Gloria is in this scam.

Is Neri a wimp without intestinal fortitude?

 

That possibility was raised by Senator Nene Pimentel, who has warned that unless he faces the Senate and spills the beans on the alleged payoffs in the NBN deal, he is probably one. The usage and construction is awkward, as it isn’t exactly a cliche but rather a literal translation of the more commonly used vernacular phrase “mahina ang bituka” or “mahina ang loob.” Anyway, so much for the language.

The Romy Neri I know was an academic pragmatist.

I was reporting for The Manila Chronicle and he was one of the few reliable sources of business and economic stories I could find at the House of Representatives back in the early 90s when he headed the Congressional Planning and Budget Office (CPBO).

Responsible Mining in Palawan

There are currently over 180 315 mining applications in Palawan covering a land area of over 200670,000 hectares of mostly forested areas. (data source: Provincial Mining Regulator Board of Palawan)

What happens if half of these projects gets approved? Will it impact on the poverty situation in rural areas where these projects are located? Will it trigger economic growth by creating jobs, stir up the local economy and thus improve people’s lives? Is it worth losing the forests and its biodiversity in exchange for excise taxes and windfall revenue? Have we learned enough from the past experiences?

Malampaya sharing a done deal

Vice Governor David Ponce de Leon was quoted today as saying that the Executive Order on the controversial Malampaya deal is finally forthcoming. Now, that’s the first official confirmation of my PDI story after nearly a month, for crying out loud!

Seems all the kinks have been ironed out in Malacanang and the big boys hereabouts will have an early Christmas – a whooping P6 billion in pork funds/development projects, depending on where one sits. (Me? I’m just a silly reporter who rocked the boat a little bit.)

Feeling sorry for Erap?

For those who are vaguely familiar with the deeper context of Estrada’s public crimes and have found it quite easy to forgive and forget, here’s a good summary of his case (click this link).

Barangay polls and the SK

The only logical conclusion why most congressmen want to postpone the October 29 elections is because they are not financially prepared to spend huge amounts needed to ensure they have majority of the barangay captains under their wings come 2010. Having just spent fortunes in last May’s polls, this coming electoral exercise promises to be politically significant and thus financially costly for anyone wishing to further their political ends.

The Anda Provision

When I interviewed Vice Governor David Ponce de Leon at a PCSD function in Legend Hotel a few months ago about the plan to divide Palawan into three provinces, I commented that this seems to have a negative implication insofar as the future sharing on oil and gas royalty is concerned.

Divided by three

The issues that come out in the public consultations on the proposal to divide Palawan into three provinces and create a separate region are quite parochial.

Brooke’s Point and Narra are contesting who gets to become the capital of Southern Palawan, while Roxas wants to outbid Taytay as the choice center for the north. In the Calamianes group, Coron seems to be the prevailing sentiment.