Anti-coal advocates on Thursday called for the ouster of Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi for disobeying the “verbal” order of President Rodrigo Duterte in his fourth State-of-the-Nation Address “to fast-track renewable energy resources to reduce the country’s dependence on traditional energy sources, such as coal.”
At a news conference on Elliptical Road, Diliman, Quezon City, Valentino de Guzman, Philippine Movement for Climate Justice’s Luzon coordinator, blamed Cusi for ignoring the President’s directive, saying “the only impediment is the Department of Energy itself as well as its secretary.”
“If Cusi would not change his decision, we will not stop blaming him that he has been the impediment,” he told reporters.
“We will make it sure that you [Cusi] will be the next Faeldon,” he said, referring to resigned Bureau of Corrections chief Nicanor Faeldon, who earned the wrath of the President for disobeying his order not to release prisoners convicted of heinous crimes.
Gerry Arances of the Center for Energy, Ecology and Development, and Power for People Coalition, expressed his disappointment over Cusi’s position not to issue a moratorium on coal power plant developments until the country has met its goal of attaining energy security.
Cusi said coal had still a purpose, adding no moratorium would be put in place against coal energy.
“Now, we have seen the true color of the DoE. It only means that the proposed 28 coal energy plants would still push through,” Arances said.
He threatened to file charges against Cusi before the Office of the Ombudsman should he fail to end the use of coal power energy.
“If the President is against the oligarchs [who owned the power plants], he must issue an executive order that would officially formalize his order to Cusi,” he said.