Militants Blocked Angat Sale to Korean Firm

Militants successfully blocked the possible sale of the 246-megawatt hydroelectric power plant component of Angat Dam in Bulacan. The Korean firm is awarded the contract after it vested other local bidders. Militant groups said that the sale of the power plant to a foreign firm was a violation of the Philippine Constitution.

The Korean firm won the bid from local bidders which includes First Gen Northern Energy Corp., San Miguel Corp., SN Aboitiz Power-Pangasinan, Inc., Trans-Asia Oil and Energy Development Corp., and DMCI Power Corp.

Petitioners said that the awarding violated Article XII, Section 2 of 1987 Constitution, the Water Code of the Philippines and the EPIRA law. The bidding also violated the Government Procurement Reform Act when the bidding held was not public and transparency was not observed in the process.

Petitioners includes: Initiatives for Dialogue and Empowerment through Alternative Legal Services Inc., Freedom from Debt Coalition, Akbayan Citizen’s Action Party, Alliance of Progressive Labor, and Akbayan Rep. Walden Bello.

Meanwhile respondents in the case are the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System, National Irrigation Administration, and the six companies who are taking part in the bidding for Angat’s hydro-electric plant.

Milo Tanchuling, Secretary General of the Freedom from Debt Council secretary-general said that if this will materialize the source of the water in Metro Manila will be compromized since about 97% of its water supply comes from Angat Dam.

The water from Angat Dam serves around 12 million residents in Metro Manila and irrigates 31,000 hectares of frams in 20 towns and municipalities in Bulacan and Pampanga.

News Source: Partido Kalikasa Media Round Up.

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