We the People should stop this charade. Months ago, they justified their exorbitant prices with two reasons: first, the global oil price hike and second, its summer, hence, there’s really a higher demand for electricity. Now, global oil prices are falling and its colder now but I see no difference in my electric bill.

Worst, Meralco has this cruel practice of demanding immediate payment of their charges. 

These Lopezes should be stopped by the government at all costs! I don’t care if Winston Garcia gets Meralco. I don’t care if another devil in the likes of Garcia does it, but somebody has to do it. 

It’s not enough that government is trying to pry open Meralco’s books. For sure, the Lopezes will just bribe government auditors sent there in their offices. 

Sumusobra na ang dambuhalang Meralco. Meralco should be cracked open, and denied their franchise. The franchise should be divided and sold to other people who’ll manage the utility firm better than the Lopezes.

First, Meralco just won the case against GSIS yet the victory seems more pyrrhic than anything. Charges of corruption and high-stakes bribery have tainted the victory. In fact, it seems too obvious that Meralco is falling into a pathological trap.

ABS-CBN is reporting about the row between CA Justice Jose Sabio and his friend, De Vera. In the end, all suspicions will definitely lead to Meralco’s doorsteps because the conversation is favoring government who maintains its silence while Sabio and his friend fight it out for space to be heard. Eventually, GSIS will enter into the picture to demand another chance to appeal the case. And, by that, I believe, GSIS will win this war of attrition.

The Lopez Group is also starting to employ an old PR crisis tactic–shifting the blame to another. Read Geny Lopez speech. He’s blaming ABS-CBN for its woes. He alleges that politics is behind government’s attempts at destroying the Lopez crown jewel. He points to another of their assets–ABS-CBN 2–as the one to be blamed since the network reportedly maintain an advertorial stance against Arroyo.

This is obviously a tactic for the public to forget that the main issue is its monopoly of the power distribution sector. That monopoly, obviously, is hurting millions of families because Meralco charges exorbitant power rates. Meralco wants the people to forget that it’s charging so much and all of these are mainly due to ABS-CBN versus Malacanan.

Such is NOT the case because, as we know, Meralco is really charging so much against the people. And government should definitely do something about it. It is government’s job to safeguard the people’s welfare. By going after Meralco, government hopes to lower at least, these high electricity rates. 

Going back, public sympathy is actually shifting in favor of the GSIS. In the next few days, when this Sabio-De Vera verbal fight simmers down, we expect GSIS to file a reconsideration which the Court of Appeals would definitely entertain. With all this noise about bribery and corruption, surely, a favorable ruling from the Court of Appeals is expected. If that happens, GSIS head Garcia will definitely have the last laugh.

In all radio stations, Garcia received brickbats from radio commentators and reporters. In all websites and print-based outlets, Garcia was pictured as a pig, a corporate raider, a devil incarnate. Today, Garcia was villified and practically was fed to the dogs.

Garcia should blame his publicist for this image fiasco. He lost twice today. He lost his power because Meralco stockholders rebuffed him and he lost his dignity. He’s being pictured now as a lost young boy holding an empty bag.

Poor Winston Garcia. For all his huffing and puffing, nothing amounted to it. Puff. Bluff. Floff. Garcia should go back to Cebu and plant kamote there.

How true? Well, Oscar Lopez trip to Europe shows how determined the Lopez family is in maintaining control of the utility firm. Meralco, it seems, is their main bread and butter. They can’t allow government to just raid it and part the spoils among Arroyo’s gang of misfits?

If this is true, then, are we expecting the further “de-nationalization” of Meralco? As it stands, Meralco’s stake is owned partly by two foreign partners of the Lopezes. If the Lopezes increases the participation of 5 more foreign firms, it would further make Meralco one of the most foreign funded utility firm ever.

Speculations are rife that GSIS President Winston Garcia is really bent on carving Meralco up to numerous pieces, to be controlled by the Aboitiz family and the Garcias of Cebu. So, introducing foreigners to buy the GSIS stake would amount to nothing.

There’s still a chance for the Lopezes to save themselves—ask the numerous stockholders of the GSIS funds, like myself, to rally behind them come May 27. Should I or should I not? What do you think?

Talks are rife that government, through the GSIS, is maneuvering to wrest complete control of the firm from the Lopezes. The oligarchic family controls just a fraction more than GSIS, which is 33.4%. Two presidents have attempted, yet failed, to take over the utility firm. One of them is Diosdado Macapagal, Gloria’s father. His failure led to his disastrous defeat at the polls against Ferdinand Marcos.

Marcos turned against the Lopezes eventually. Corporate maneuverings did not work so Marcos employed another tactic–martial law. He arrested the Lopezes and forced them to give him their shares. It was only after EDSA 1 that the Lopezes were able to regain control, thanks to Cory Aquino.

Now, even at the twilight of her term, Gloria is trying to replicate what her father did, albeit, in a different manner. Part of her insidious plan is to temper public opposition of a takeover. So, it looks like the takeover is very sure already. Knowing Gloria, she’ll not do what she’s doing right now– publicly denouncing somebody and trying to court support from other oligarchs–if she and her mafia gang do not have a plan. They have a plan which they meticulously and patiently executed within a span of time.

GSIS president Winston Garcia, Gloria’s golden-haired boy, leads the charge. Should government wins in this battle, what would be the effects in other Lopez companies?

Surely, ABS-CBN channel 2 will be affected. For sometime now, ABS-CBN 2 has been losing millions of revenues due to stiff competition from main rival GMA 7. Though ratings are up, ABS-CBN 2 has past its prime, mainly due to its premium positioning which impacts on its bottomline. Sources say MERALCO has been subsidizing ABS-CBN 2. A government takeover would also mean some control over ABS-CBN 2.

So, expect a titanic battle come May 27 in the MERALCO boardroom.