Power tripping

HE SAYS

Aldrin Cardon

05/12/2008

Government tried to hit the mark when it offered to arrest one economic concern that directly hits the pocket of Juan dela Cruz (JDLC) but missed the point altogether when it offered itself as the solution to the rising cost of electricity, like the hero we all needed and wished for to take the Meralco bull by the horn.

But no, government could not play Clark Kent and Superman at the same time when it remains its own kryptonite in managing its affairs, not to mention its deals, not entirely the business kind.

Why the people smell of monkey business in the GSIS offer — or threat — to buyout the Lopezes from Meralco is something akin to past and present doubts on government’s future, even if we say Winston Garcia is true to his word that he only wants to lower the cost of electricity to benefit JDLC, like he was being true to himself and the people when he saved the Juan Luna painting from private collectors by using precious public funds.

It is only ideal for government to control basic services for the people, and if we only have a government whose culture and honesty are far from what this one has, we would be applauding at the offer to nationalize electric power and hopefully everything that comes next, or before it, like those concerning health, food, education, housing and job creation.

But this is not the ideal government we have now. We never have had any ideal government even, not in the past, present or the near future, unless God makes some miracle in this part of Asia and makes everything abundant, from food, jobs and honest and efficient government leaders, from the barangay level up to Malacañang.

But that could be like asking God to throw himself down the cliff, and I am now writing like the devil who once asked Him to do the same. But just the same, I will still ask Him the same if I get the chance to meet Him soon.

Or maybe I could just wish God just to shed some light on this forsaken country’s leaders to make them realize that which we need is not a government takeover of Meralco, but to break its monopoly on power distribution.

It doesn’t need much business sense to realize the solution in lowering the cost of our monthly electric bill does not solely lie on the various computations and unbundling techniques once introduced. The people need to see alternatives to the product presently in the market and make the consumers decide where to buy their power from.

If I get that chance, I will the first to try it. As I am struggling to put this column together, I am in a hurry to beat the dwindling battery life of my laptop as I am unsure if Meralco could restore power back in this part of our neighborhood, which was without electricity for 12 hours now, no thanks to last night’s downpour and some summer lightning!

All we are getting from Meralco call center agents are assurances power would be restored in my place “as soon as possible.” Of course, they were trained for that, give assurances, but not the exact time when they could fix our lines, or at least give expectations I could recharge by laptop soon before my vertigo comes back, or worse if I get a heart attack trying to deal with this column and beat the deadline.

Free market is healthy. It is proven by your choice in which telecom company would provide your cellular phone, or which toothpaste would suit your taste.

With Meralco, we have no choice. Unless government opens the line to other investors willing to sell power at a lower cost.

With this government, we have a choice. It’s either we believe its lies or live in a dream it is finally doing its best to be of service to the people.

The Meralco-GSIS issue, however, is one fine mask to pass for next year’s ati-atihan festival.

All these words being exchanged between Garcia and Oscar Lopez, the family patriarch, remain meaningless to the people unless something meaningful is done. And that is to break the monopoly of Meralco on power.

This word war will remain as that. It could not deodorize Gloria Arroyo.

It only makes her stink even more, even if she forces her power against the no longer friendly but powerful families that control the nation.

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