Coalition blasts natural gas bills as 'pro-billionaire'

A network of communities and civic movements advancing clean and affordable energy on Thursday expressed its opposition to pending bills pushing for the use of natural gas as an energy source in the country.

Power for People (P4P), represented by former presidential aspirant Leody de Guzman, voiced its opposition during a hearing conducted by the Senate Committees on Energy and on Ways and Means.

“Kontra sa mahirap at pabor sa mga bilyonaryo ang panukalang batas na ito,” De Guzman told the committee, without specifying the particular bill.

“Lugi rin ang gobyerno dahil bukod sa incentive na iaalok ay less na ang tax na kokolektahin. Lugi lahat. Bilyonaryo lang ang panalo.”

(This bill is against the poor and in favor of billionaires. The government will also not benefit because aside from the incentives, the government will collect less tax. Everyone will lose. Only billionaires will win.)

De Guzman also feared that the bills, when they become laws, will pose a threat to the environment. The bills aim to promote the development of the Philippine downstream natural gas industry.

“Gusto namin ng batas na pabor sa mga mamamayan at sa mga consumer at ‘yung batas na hindi nakakasira sa kalikasan,” he said.

(We want a law that will favor the public and the consumers and not one that will destroy the environment.)

“Hindi dapat gawing batas ng Senado ang mga kasakuluyang panukalang ito. Bakit pa kailangan itulak ang gas bill kung meron na tayong Renewable Energy Law na dapat ay ma-maximize ng gobyerno?” he added.

(This bill should not be enacted into law. Why push this gas bill when we already have a Renewable Energy Law that should be maximized by the government?)

De Guzman said that if renewable energy is a “step forward,” relying on gas is a “step backward.”

Earlier during the hearing, Senator Raffy Tulfo said natural gas is a “cleaner burning fuel, producing fewer emissions and pollutants” and “offers a more environment-friendly alternative” compared to coal.

Tulfo said natural gas stands out as a “reliable bridge” as the country seeks to transition to renewable sources of energy.

For her part, Energy Undersecretary Sharon Garin said that just because energy is renewable does not mean it is cheaper.

“Just because it’s a renewable energy — dahil solar or wind na wala kang fuel na binibili  — it doesn’t mean it’s cheaper. Ang technology po mahal din, ang investment mahal din,” she said.

(Just because it’s a renewable energy — because it's solar or wind where you don't need to buy fuel  — it doesn’t mean it’s cheaper. Both echnology and investment cost money.)

Garin said the agency aims to find the “perfect mix” of energy as the country cannot rely on one source of energy alone.

“We do agree that the objective should be lowering of the rates, but if we do want clean energy or green energy or less brown energy, we have to add a little more on the rates,” she said.

‘Increase in electricity rates’

Meanwhile, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian also said that electricity rates may increase should the country choose to import liquified natural gas.

“Merong possibility tumaas ang presyo kapag nag-import tayo dahil international market na siya,” Gatchalian said.

[There’s a possibility of an increase if we import because it’s from the international market.]

“For example nga, nagkaroon ng problema sa Middle East, Qatar is the biggest supplier of natural gas, tumaas ang presyo ng natural gas, maapektuhan tayo plus supply pa,” he added.

[For example, there’s a problem in the Middle East, Qatar is the biggest supplier of natural gas, then the price of natural gas goes up, we will be affected.]

Gatchalian, however, said the country needs to import liquefied natural gas as the output of the Malampaya Power Plant declines every year.

Should the country decide not to import natural gas, the government may choose to buy power plants with expensive replacement fuels.

When asked if importing natural gas will cost less than buying power plants, Gatchalian said it is “almost the same.” —KBK/RSJ, GMA Integrated News