Mabilog, 7 councilors off to Taiwan for a tour on coal power plants
Vice Mayor Jed Mabilog and seven members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod pushed through with their trip to Taiwan after the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) central office issued them a travel clearance.
The travel clearance for Mabilog along with Councilors Lyndon Acap, Julienne Baronda, Jose Espinosa III, Ely Estante Jr., Armand Parcon, Nielex Tupas and Eduardo Peñaredondo was approved by DILG Undersecretary Austere A. Panadero.
Mabilog and the councilors left Iloilo City yesterday (Thursday).
While, Councilors Marietta Orleans, Jeffrey Ganzon, Stevie Rey Abitang, Eldrid Antiquiera, Antonio Pesina, Erwin Plagata and Perla Zulueta did not join the trip.
Expenses for the trip as well as accommodation will be shouldered by Global Business Power Corp. (GBPC), owner of Panay Power Corporation which distributes the bulk of power in Iloilo City.
The two companies are proposing to build a 100-megawatt coal plant at the PPC plant site in Barangay Ingore in La Paz District here. It plans to tap technical assistance from the Taiwan-based Formosa Heavy Industries Corp. (FHIC), which operates the Asia Power Energy Corporation (APEC) coal plant in Mabalacat town in Pampanga.
In her authorization, Panadero said the city officials were allowed to travel from October 12 to 14,2007 for a study and observation tour on Clean Coal Technology. The same order contains conditions under DILG Memorandum Circular No. 2001- dated May 8, 2001.
Among the conditions for their trip are that no expenses shall be borne by the city government in connection with the travel; delegates have been properly cleared from money and property accountabilities and from any administrative charge or criminal case filed against each of them.
The travel approval for the vice mayor and seven councilors was issued last October 10, 2007, the same day some environmental advocates filed criminal and administrative complaint against Mayor Jerry Treñas for going to Taiwan.
Trenas's trip was also sponsored by GBPC. However, the mayor said he has done nothing wrong when he went to Taiwan since GPC, PPC and FHIC are not contractors or suppliers for any projects of the city government. He said his trip cannot be covered by prohibitions of the law because the coal-plant project does not need the approval of the city government.
Meanwhile, Atty. Romeo Gerochi also threatens to file criminal and administrative complaint against other city officials who will go to Taiwan.