Angry Enrile wants foreign traders summoned to hearing

MANILA, Philippines - Senators led by an angry Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile on Monday took turns in lambasting the Joint Foreign Chambers of the Philippines for its statement urging government not to amend the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (Epira). At the same time, the senators want the leaders of the JFCP summoned for interfering in the work of Congress. "I want all foreign chamber heads called here in the Senate and explain why are against the Epira amendments, why they are against a bill that would benefit the poor power consumers," a fuming Enrile said during a privilege speech. "Who are these foreigners who can tell us what to do and not to do in our land?,"he added. Enrile, who's sponsoring floor debates on the amendments to the Epira said he could tolerate the free expression of opinions, but not intervention. "I'm going to roast the heads of foreign chambers when they come here," he said. Enrile, who chairs the Senate energy sub-committee handling Epira changes, noted that the leaders of the foreign chambers did not even appear in the Senate while the bill was being deliberated in the committee level. "I want them to come here. None of them appear here voluntarily to express their position," he said. He said he does care if the foreign chambers would be called in by the Congressional Power Commission (Powercom) or the Senate energy panel of Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago. Santiago said she shared the same sentiments of Enrile but not with the same level and intensity as displayed by her veteran colleague. "They are mere guests in the country. They are welcome guests, but they should not overstay their welcome," she said. Sen. Joker Arroyo warned President Arroyo against favorably responding to the lobby of the foreign trade chambers. "I hope these things are clarified. The President should also be careful not to say yes or no. This is the prerogative of Congress," Arroyo said. He said the President should inform the foreign chambers that the issue is now in the hands of Congress, which will act with wisdom. Sen. Francis Escudero said the heads of the foreign chambers have no right to intervene in the work of Congress. "Wala silang karapatang mang-himasok," Escudero said. Sen. Jinggoy Estrada asked why the foreign chambers are very interested in the country's power sector. He was told by Enrile that many of the foreign chambers represent countries that have stake in the countrys energy sector. Enrile also said these are the foreign chambers of United States , Canada , Australia , China and Japan and these countries have big investments in the power industry. For his part, Sen. Manuel Roxas said the matter must be referred to the Senate energy panel. Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri said it was so callous for the foreign chambers to try to influence policy or legislation in the country. "I condemn the gall and audacity of the foreign chambers. Ang kakapal ng mukha nila to dictate us," Zubiri said. The foreign chambers calling themselves as the Joint Foreign Chambers of the Philippines, in a joint manifesto, told President Arroyo that amending the EPIRA would result to highly unstable legal framework for the industry and investors. The group also said the changes would impact the credibility and put at risk the ongoing power-sector reforms. - GMANews.TV