n LIFESTYLE / D1
Nedy Tantoco’s list: 10 things Reds rule out
men should know about
women and shopping
Flashing lights may be fun,
but flashing Santa is not
LONDON—BRITISH POLICE
said Friday they were on the
lookout for a man dressed as
Father Christmas, a serial
flasher exposing himself
around a small town on Eng-
land’s south coast.
The man has indecently
FLASHING/ A6
Gov’t to Meralco: Pay up
email: feedback@inquirer.com.ph
‘Power play’
may leave
energy chief
powerless
By Gil C. Cabacungan Jr.
A POWER PLAY IS BREWING AT THE
Department of Energy.
A top Malacañang source said Energy
Undersecretary Peter Anthony Abaya has
been pushing for the creation of the
Strategic Oil, Gas, Energy Resources and
Power Infrastructure Office which would
take over practically all the functions of
his boss, the low-key Energy Secretary
Raphael Lotilla, except for the monitor-
ing of oil prices.
The source, who asked that his name
be withheld on grounds that he wanted
to avoid personality clashes within the
Cabinet, claimed Abaya was the propo-
nent of Executive Order No. 474 creating
the power infrastructure body.
President Macapagal-Arroyo signed
the EO on Nov. 30. The new body has not
been fully constituted.
In a text message to the INQUIRER last
night, Abaya admitted having “dis-
cussed” the formation of the body with
Ms Arroyo a few months ago but denied
he had authored the EO, saying he did
not know who was behind it.
Abaya also said he did know who
would head the body.
The source found the new body a
needless addition to the bureaucracy be-
cause the DOE, on its own, he said, could
do the job better.
POWER/ A6
RP on verge
of biggest real
estate boom
in 30 years
By Gil C. Cabacungan Jr.
THE PHILIPPINES IS ON THE CUSP OF
what could be the country’s biggest prop-
erty boom in nearly three decades fueled
by money from overseas Filipinos, in-
vestments from businessmen and in-
creased government spending.
But Albay Rep. Joey Salceda said the
real estate industry could only reach its
full potential if President Macapagal-Ar-
royo resolves her biggest political crisis
triggered by allegations that she cheated
in the 2004 elections.
“If politics is neutral, we are at the
threshold of the biggest real estate boom
since 1997,” Salceda said in an interview.
RP ON VERGE/ A6
n NEWS/ A2
Christmas
INQUIRER
truce
P H I L I P P I N E D A I L Y
B A L A N C E D
Sunday, December 18, 2005
CELEBRATING THE FILIPINO. On Saturday, the lights on a giant Christmas tree are switched on at Rizal Park with
fireworks galore. Made of indigenous materials, the tree dazzles as the “Pamaskong Galing Pilipino” so aptly dubbed in
this season of endless wonder: That the Filipino has within himself the skills, the industry, creativity, the powers of mind
and heart to dazzle the world.
Senate rejects ConCom report: It’s so Marcos
By Juliet Labog-Javellana
and Philip C. Tubeza
THE WAY IT LOOKS, THE RECOMMEN-
dations of the Consultative Commission
on Charter change do not stand a chance
n WORLD / A8 n ENTERTAINMENT / A4-1
Bush authorized secret Mike Enriquez: Let’s
eavesdropping in US, face it, I don’t have a
says intel official face for TV but...
Doctor of champions
makes it to Winter Games
By Christian V. Esguerra
A FILIPINO CHIROPRACTOR
has been named to the elite
12-man international delega-
tion in charge of the physical
conditioning of athletes in
N E W S , F E A R L E S S V I E W S the 20th Winter Olympic
DOCTOR / A4 CAMARA
HH 14 sections / Vol. 21 / No. 10 P18 website: www.inq7.net
GMA, Lopez
clan may clash
over P42-B debt
to Napocor
By Tony S. Bergonia
ENERGY CONSUMERS WILL
be looking at a considerable
reduction in electricity rates
if the Arroyo administration
opts to convert a P42-billion
outstanding debt of the
Manila Electric Co. into
shares of stock, resulting in
government virtually taking
control of the Lopez
Group-led distribution utility.
This was one of the options presented
in a July 2005 memorandum to Presi-
dent Macapagal-Arroyo by a top Mala-
cañang official to settle a long-standing
dispute between the National Power
Corp. and Meralco over P42 billion
worth of power that Meralco contracted
to buy from the state-owned power gen-
erator.
The takeover option would have the
government simply converting the P42
billion into equity by entering into a debt
conversion agreement with Meralco.
Sources in Malacañang said the Presi-
dent herself wants the P42 billion col-
lected from Meralco.
They said Napocor has been given the
go-signal by the President to collect the
P42 billion and prevent the further fi-
nancial hemorrhage of the state-owned
power firm.
According to the memorandum, a
copy of which was obtained by the IN-
QUIRER and which was marked privileged
and confidential, the government could
use the P42-billion debt as leverage to
bring down electricity costs by using the
debt to acquire more shares in Meralco.
Industry insiders said, however, that
even if this course of action would mean
lower electricity rates and put a stop to
the financial hemorrhage of Napocor, the
government’s hands were tied as it
would put the Arroyo administration on
a collision course with the powerful and
politically influential Lopez family and
send a wrong signal to investors.
Elpi Cuna, the Meralco spokesperson,
said the dispute over the P42-billion debt
GOV’T/ A6
ERIK ARAZAS
in the Senate. tutional amendments, for the Senate to would not be acceptable to those who
Senators crossed party lines to reject keep an open mind in the matter. would benefit from them, or to the peo-
the report of the commission formed by According to Senate President ple at large.
President Macapagal-Arroyo, despite the Franklin Drilon, Majority Leader Francis “The move is dead, deader, deadest,”
call of Antique Rep. Exequiel Javier, vice Pangilinan and Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile, quipped Sen. Joker Arroyo.
chair of the House committee on consti- the proposals contained in the report SENATE / A4
JUST-DO-IT MOMENTS
AT THE 3RD ASEAN PARA GAMES
(Above) Noel Gonzales bags a bronze in the
100m breaststroke. (Left) Blind ex-ramp
model Gerry Gonzalo gets set to hurl the
javelin but fails in his quest for a medal. (Right)
The gold in the 1,500-meter wheelchair race is
won by Thailand’s Prawat Wathoram with two
others practically breathing down his neck.
(Story on Page A22.) ERNIE U. SARMIENTO/RYAN LIM