Lacson Backs DOE-Mandated Fuel Adjustments, Stresses Fair Pricing

Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson on Tuesday backed the Department of Energy (DOE)’s move to mandate fuel price adjustments, provided these remain reasonable.

Lacson said such intervention – enabled by the DOE’s authority to impose price adjustment limits during a state of national energy emergency – is far better than leaving the fuel prices to the oil firms.

“Dapat lang gamitin ng pamahalaan ang pagdeklara ng state of national energy emergency. As long as reasonable ang gagawing computation ng DOE sa pag-adjust ng presyo – pagbaba man or pagtaas ng presyo ng pump prices, mas makakabuti sa mas nakakaraming Pilipino ang ganitong patakaran o polisiya kesa naman ipaubaya sa oil companies ang pagtatalaga ng presyo (The government must use the powers granted to it under a state of national energy emergency. As long as the DOE’s computations are reasonable – whether the adjustments are upward or downward – this is better than just allowing oil firms to dictate prices of fuel),” he said.

In Filipino: Lacson, Sinusuportahan ang DOE-Mandated na Pag-aadjust sa Presyo ng Langis; Binibigyang-diin ang Makatarungang Presyo

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On the Initial Expose on Corruption by Sen. Manny Pacquiao

Screengrab of Sen. Pacquiao’s virtual press conference July 3

Without details backed by documents or at least sworn statements executed by his witnesses, if any, there may not be sufficient basis for the Senate to conduct a hearing although the Blue Ribbon Committee is allowed to conduct investigation in aid of legislation even without referral.

It now behooves the Chairman to make the call on the issue at hand.

Meantime, the onus is on Sen. Pacquiao at the very least to show some specifics in support of his allegations, which by its nature are serious, not to mention sensitive.

It can better serve the purpose of the expose if relevant documents that he said he has would be submitted to the Senate President or the Blue Ribbon Committee, so we can assess what next move to take on the issues that he presented in yesterday’s virtual press conference.

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Lacson: Wasteful projects worth P583 billion [Inquirer]

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From the Inquirer: “We’re either overtaxed or underserved, or both,” said Lacson, who opened a can of worms this month when he discussed last-minute insertions of multibillion-peso allocations for the districts of favored lawmakers in the proposed P3.8-trillion budget for 2019. Continue reading “Lacson: Wasteful projects worth P583 billion [Inquirer]”

Lacson Seeks Closer Look at Rural Electrification Picture

While the Department of Energy claims 100 percent of the country’s barangays now have electricity, it does not automatically mean the agency’s electrification efforts have been completed.

On this note, Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson sought a closer look into the government’s rural electrification program, after learning that many sitios – enclaves far from the barangay centers – still do not have power.

“Sitios are a part of barangays. We cannot say barangays are 100 percent powered if a few sitios in those barangays still have no power,” Lacson said at a Commission on Appointments hearing for Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi.

Related: Ping: Hindi porke’t 100 percent ‘electrified’ ay ayos na

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Ping: Hindi Porke’t 100 percent ‘Electrified’ ay Ayos Na

Hindi kasiguraduhan na ganap nang tapos ang pagpapailaw ng mga barangay ng Department of Energy, kahit sabihin nito na 100 porsiyento ng mga barangay ang may kuryente na.

Ito ang nabatid ng mga mambabatas na miyembro ng makapangyarihang Commission on Appointments sa pagtatanong ni Sen. Panfilo Lacson kay DOE Sec. Alfonso Cusi na sumalang sa kumpirmasyon.

Tinanong ni Lacson ang kalihim kung ilang porsiyento na ng mga barangay sa bansa ang napapailawan ng DOE, base sa datus na nakuha ng mambabatas na dapat noon pang 2008 ay nakumpleto na ito.

Related: Lacson seeks closer look at rural electrification picture

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