Chiz, Loren delay 2010 declarations

Written by Purple S. Romero
Monday, 12 October 2009


Sen. Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero on Monday deferred announcing his plans for 2010 saying the country should not be “distracted” by politics in the wake of the tragedy brought by typhoon "Pepeng."

“Eyes on the ball first,” he said in a press conference.

Escudero, the likely standard-bearer of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), was expected to declare his candidacy Monday, two days after he celebrated his 40th birthday.

The senator earlier said that he would unveil his political plans after he turns 40, the minimum age requirement for presidential aspirants.

His announcement would have to wait, however, as the NPC itself opted to plan its response first to the damages wrought by Pepeng, which left around 300 dead and hundreds homeless in northern Luzon.

The NPC will hold a meeting Monday night to discuss its assistance to the calamity-stricken areas in the region.

Many provinces in northern Luzon are political bailiwicks of the NPC.

NPC member Manuel Ortega is currently the governor of La Union, while Tarlac is lorded over by the allies of NPC chair emeritus Eduardo ‘Danding’ Cojuangco.

Escudero also said his alleged tandem with another presidential wannabe, Sen. Loren Legarda, should not be counted out.

“I don’t see any reason why it [tandem] could not happen,” he said.


Legarda silent, too

Meanwhile, Legarda also begged off from talking about her plans for next year’s elections.

Echoing Escudero’s stand, she said public officials should focus first on responding to typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng. She also said disaster reduction should be a primary component of climate change adaptation.

“Advocacy and solution to climate change should be discussed, not politics,” she told reporters on Monday.

When pressed if she will push through with her own announcement on October 22, the lady lawmaker said, in jest, that it “depends if there will be another storm.”

Legarda earlier said she would announce her plans on the 22nd, her mother’s birthday, or by the end of October.

Legarda had been considered one of the presidential aspirants in the 2010 elections. Lately, she has acknowledged that there are strong calls for her to be the running mate of other aspirants.

She said five presidential contenders have asked her to be their vice-presidential bet.

Aside from her party mate, the others who made the offer were former President Joseph Estrada, Sen. Manuel Villar, Sen. Richard Gordon, and administration candidate, Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr.
Sue dam operators

Meanwhile, Escudero pushed for the filing of a class suit against dam operators, as allegations arose that the release of water, particularly from the San Roque dam, caused the floods in Pangasinan.

The San Roque dam discharged 5,000 cubic meters per second on Thursday, inundating the towns surrounding Agno river in Pangasinan province.

Escudero questioned the belated release of water, saying the six spillway gates of the dam were opened only after the water level reached 288.3 meters above sea level (masl). He said dam has the capacity to store water at 290 masl.

Pangasinan Gov. Amado Espino Jr. also reportedly threatened to file charges against the National Power Corp. (NPC) for the excessive release of water.

Legarda took a different tack, however, and said that the incident should first be probed before any case is brought before the courts.

“We are not scientists, we are not engineers...We should first hear the rationale and justification for the release of water,” she said.

Legarda will summon dam operators on Wednesday for the second salvo of the hearing on the effects of the tropical storms. (abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak)


Source: http://newsbreak.com.ph/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6942&Itemid=88889051