Mark Cojuangco mulls senate post

By Mortz C. Ortigoza URDANETA CITY – Former fifth district Rep. Mark Cojuangco is thinking about joining the senatorial race next year. He said in case this pushes through, he would run under the family-affiliated Nationalist People’s Coalition. Cojuangco said it was no longer necessary to coalesce with the administration party’s Liberal Party. “NPC is NPC. We are already in coalition in the House with the Noynoy Aquino’s administration, so we are supportive and collaborative,” he said. Meanwhile, the former solon still advocates nuclear power as a source of electricity in the country. He explained however that he still is waiting for the official result of the investigation of the nuclear plants –in Fukushima, Japan after they were devastated by a tsunami in March 16, 2011. “So our debate will not be based on speculation. It is hard to debate when your opponent basess on personal opinion and not what officially transpired in Hiroshima.” Cojuangco said it is hard to persuade the Filipinos to accept nuclear power in the light of what happened in Japan. He said that Filipinos should read and do research so they could understand how to solve the energy crisis in the Philippines and for the future energy needs of the country. “We have the most expensive power rates in the world. How can we draw investors if we have the most prohibitive power rates?” he posed. He explained that even United States President Barrack Obama approved the construction of the two nuclear power plants in the U.S today. “The Nuclear Regulatory Committee has just given permit for the construction of the nuclear power in 30 years”. He said traditionally Obama and the Democrats Party are anti-nuclear. But they pushed for the projects because they want to be independent in power supply from abroad.