The Controversial Casecnan Project - Citizen's IPP Review Commission findings

The Controversial Casecnan Project
by Maria Teresa Diokno-Pascual and Shalom MK Macli-ing
Freedom from Debt Coalition

Executive Summary

The Citizens’ IPP Review Commission is urging the Arroyo government to rescind the contract of the National Power Corporation with the National Irrigation Administration for the purchase of Casecnan electricity, and the contract of the National Irrigation Administration with the CE Casecnan Water and Energy Company, Inc. The contracts are
grossly disadvantageous to the government and the people, and give undue advantage to one American company whose officer enjoyed close ties with then President Fidel V. Ramos.

These contracts would not have been approved by the Investment Coordinating Committee for lack of technical merits. But it was approved at the instruction (behest) of then President Ramos. In the process, the law on BOT projects was violated, as well as the Constitution, which forbids non-Filipino entities from controlling the country’s water resources. The lives of the host communities have not improved. Instead they have been negatively influenced by corrupt practices, offers of amounts of money never before seen by the local residents as a
result of which the money has quickly disappeared, and the false promises of a company that cares little about their welfare.

To view entire report, go to this url
http://www.eca-watch.org/problems/asia_pacific/philippines/casecnan_fieldreport.pdf