Lobby Money from Oligarchs to Senators Reason New PSA Dies?

  PSA will draw more foreigners to invest in PH and spike jobs  

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

LINGAYEN – A former congressman shared the same suspicion of some quarters that senators did not approve the Public Service Act (PSA) because of the lobby monies given by Filipino controlled corporations for their reelection.

“Baka kasama na lahat iyon. Kailangan nila ng explanatory billings,” former ABAKADA Party-List Congressman Jonathan Dela Cruz answered when asked by this writer here if the reason the senators procrastinate to pass in the third and final reading the amendment of the PSA because many of them seek reelection in May this year.

 The public perception this happened because these solons need free aircraft to barnstorm the country and hundreds of millions of pesos from these "monopolistic" corporations in telecommunication, power, transportation, and others to fund their campaign expenses. 

More foreign investors in the Philippines mean solution if not reduction of the country's unemployment problem and the diaspora of Filipinos in other countries.

The amendment to 100 percent ownership of utilities like transportation, electricity, telecommunications, and others in the Philippines are believed to reduce the perennial unemployment problem of Filipinos and solve the diaspora of 2.3 million of other Filipinos abroad as investors especially the deep pocket foreigners will come in the country and put shops. October 2018 data from the Philippines Statistics Office show that there were 2.2 million Filipinos who are unemployed while there were 2.3 million (September 2017) Overseas Fiilipino Workers (OFWs).

Because of the inaction of the present members of the Senate whose term of office will end at noon of June 30, 2019, it is feared that the amended version of the PSA will be refiled by the new members of the 18th Houses of Representatives and Senate when they commence office at noon of June 31 this year, according to former congressman Dela Cruz.

“Kailangan talaga ayusin iyan. Kasi it involved everything almost everything. On necessary requirements of any bidding transportation, power, water, everything all public utilities. Importante po iyon. Sayang, hindi inayos ng Senate. Maraming hindi naayos ang Senate dahil marami silang hindi naipasa siguro. Babalikan uli natin uli iyan,” Dela Cruz stressed in Filipino.

The House of Representatives approved its third and final version of the PSA on September 8, 2017.

 Representatives Gloria Arroyo, Arthur Yap, Joey Sarte-Salceda, Jose Christopher Belmonte, and Manuel Monsour Del Rosario combined their four bills to make this supposedly economic milestone that will become the magic bullet to solve joblessness in the Philippines.

The Senate members have been delaying its version until today, that is four months before the May 13 this year’s middle term election and  six months before their term ends in June 30, 2019.

When asked by this writer if the procrastination of the senators was because of the lobby fund and the airplanes and helicopters lend to them by big businesses as disclosed by a pilot, Senator Risa Hontiveros said he could be either correct or wrong.

"Ahh, maaring tama kayo o maaring hindi. Alam ninyo naman pag kandidato lalo na pag reelectionist merong kunsiderasyon..."

(READ FULL STORY HERE)

Senator Grace Poe, the Chairman of Committee on Public Service that handles the PSA, told this writer in March last year when the latter cited to her that Congress is to be partly blamed to the death, abused, and raped abroad of Joana Demafiles and other OFWs because Congress did not act to open up the business equities for foreign investors in the PSA.

“Before, the government has to take care of its business, am I right? Now, we are opening it because we are now established. That’s why the telecommunication companies that the president wanted to have a third telco player. We can even have fourth, fifth players so there would be more competition. In the past we need to nationalize because our industries were in infancy.The government had to invest and we saved the Filipinos would own it but now I think there are more opportunities to everyone”. 

Progressive Asian countries like Singapore, Thailand, Mainland China have 100 percent local and foreign ownership that help solved if not reduced their unemployment problem.

Those members of the Senate who are seeking reelection for the May 13 this year’s polls are Senators Poe, Cynthia Villa, Sonny Angara, Nancy Binay, Koko Pimentel, JV Ejercito, and Bam Aquino.

READ MY OTHER ARTICLE:

What Charter Change? Just change the PSA to draw investors

(Send comments to totomortz@yahoo.com)