THE ELECTIONS are done and dusted and we have a new President and Vice President and as Antonio Trillanes IV say, “it was the most emotional yet most peaceful election in recent history.” But some people can’t move on with their lives. It seems the democratic process we call elections where naturally there will always be winners and losers appears to be totally alien to them.
In political jargon, a “useful idiot” is a derogatory term for a person perceived as propagandizing for a cause without fully comprehending the cause’s goals, and who is cynically used by the cause’s leaders. The term was originally used during the Cold War to describe non-communists regarded as susceptible to communist propaganda and manipulation. The term has often been attributed to Vladimir Lenin.
Joma Sison (you know, the old man partying in the Netherlands) said in a video that went viral on social media: “Bongbong Marcos and Sara Duterte will only win if they cheat.” The day after the elections as it became clear that Marcos/Duterte are the winning president and vice president, right on cue all the legal fronts of the CPP/NPA/NDFP were in the Comelec to protest…the coincidence is indeed uncanny.
And the childish tantrums begin:
The CPP/NPA/NDFP and their front organizations, including their party-lists in Congress aptly called KABAG – an acronym for Kabataan, Anakpawis, Bayan Muna, Alliance of Concerned Teachers, and Gabriella, cannot accept the results so they are being mobilized to agitate their mass base, including the “devotees to the cult of the yellow ribbon” now dyed pink.
Because of their disappointment and expectations, these so called “kakampinks” are so primed to express their frustrations they are being deceived by the communists into believing that there is cheating in the elections when actually there is nothing of that sort. They play right into the CPP/NPA/NDFP’s narrative of urban insurrection to create chaos and upset the current peace and order situation.
Now you know why we say “useful idiots”. These highly impressionable, naïve, social climbers are looking for a purpose in life and what better way than to become a “revolutionary”. Inadvertently they become useful idiots…ahay.
The NTF-ELCAC, who’s mandate is to end this decades-long insurgency problem has seen that the “enemies of the state” have taken advantage of the emotional situation and sought to ferment more civil unrest, had to issue a statement warning Filipinos, particularly parents, that their idealistic kids are being used by the communists to destabilize the government, hopefully they heed of that.
Meanwhile we’re still OK …
And we segue to another area of concern quite far from politics but certainly affect us; our electric bill.
It has been the bragging rights of “I Am Iloilo City” that our power distribution utility MORE Power supplies us with the cheapest and cleanest electricity (coming from a sustainable geothermal source) in the country.
Unfortunately, like any other commodity, electricity is also affected by the upheavals of the world particularly geopolitics.
This means that the current price has gone up by 41 centavos from P6.82 to P7.23 per kilowatt-hour. Increase yes, but compared to what the Iloilo Electric Cooperatives charge, which is ranging from P11 to P13 it’s still very much cheaper.
Take note that at the time when MORE Power took over from the Panay Electric Company or PECO more than two years ago, the prevailing rate was around P10.30 per kilowatt-hour.
It was also a time when power pilferages were rampant and seemingly tolerated by PECO who just add it to system losses, seriously affecting the cost of electricity.
By seriously and religiously going after the power thieves and Illegalistas, MORE Power was able to reduce system’s loss and electricity rates.
The current spike or jump from P6.82 to ₱7.23 is mainly a result of higher charges pegged by the energy producers through the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM).
There is also the continuing increase in global coal prices, according to MORE Power’s President Roel Castro; this also has a significant impact on power rates as the majority of supply nationwide comes from coal-fired generation plants.
But this increase in power rates brought about by the increase in global coal prices is minimal as MORE Power currently still sources most of its supply from the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management (PSALM), particularly from a geothermal plant in Leyte which is classified as a renewable energy resource shielding its customers from the full impact of the coal and oil price increases.
Of course we’re still very much optimistic that MORE Power has the capacity and commitment to keep its reputation as a power distributor of the cheapest electricity in the Philippines despite this recent moderate price increase.
Don’t worry folks we’re still OK./PN
