RP Energy Lies Again!

As reported in the Subic Bulletin, the ever elusive executives from RP Energy made claims on the September 12 meeting with Locators that prior to any excavation or land works they placed silt curtains along the shoreline to prevent damage to the Subic Bay, however photos uncovered by The Subic Bulletin clearly shows landworks on the RP Energy site underway with no curtains in the water protecting the bay and silt flooding into the water.

If RP Energy is going to lie about simple things like this how can we believe that they will run the plant in a "clean" configuration? Clearly RP Energy has profit before Subic in their agenda, Why has the DENR or SBMA not stepped in and finned them?

RP Energy Executives in Hiding - SBMA Wants Out.

Comment on from a reader on: "RP Energy Violates & Defies Our Community."

Ray Cunningham and RP Energy, these gutless cowards, hide behind the skirts of their attorneys to avoid honest discourse. Their slogan is "profit over people!"

We are the 99%!

THE SUBIC BULLETIN: I think we were all surprised when the RP Energy executives failed to keep their promise of facing the locators of Subic Freeport.

It is very clear that the vast majority of people don't want the Coal Plant, Ray Cunningham and his buddies may have been able to gain the political influence to curb policies and break rules but during last week’s meetings there was enough data tabled to run these guys out of town for good.

RP Energy is in Violation of their MOU with SBMA. The SBMA board of directors is clearly not happy with the deal and wish RP Energy would go away, but we can fully appreciate that the SBMA Board does not want to expose SBMA to a long and protracted legal case with RP Energy so they are clearly trying to show RP Energy the door in a very polite way.

Should RP Energy continue its arrogant stand and refuse to get the message there is still a trump card SBMA can play. RP Energy is assuming that SBMA will follow the guidelines laid out for the rest of the country for emissions, however these levels are quite high, so SBMA is quite entitled to set its own maximum allowable emission levels. Should SBMA set those levels low enough it would be unrealistically expensive to operate the plant in Subic.

We think the SBMA board knows that they hold this trump card but are hoping RP Energy retains some dignity and cancels the project in the interest of the community.

Subic Container Port's Chicken-Eg​g Problem

Comment from a reader:
 SBMA Chairman Garcia describes the lack of business at, and resultant lack of revenue from, Subic's container port as a chicken-egg problem--the problem being how to encourage shipping lines to stop at Subic when a lack of cargo to load and discharge at Subic discourges them from stopping at Subic. It is a chicken-egg problem because the ostensible reason for the lack of cargo at Subic's container port is because shippers of cargo do not ship through Subic, and the ostensible reason for that-- for the shipper's failure to ship through Subic-- is because the shipping lines do not stop at Subic. Meantime, the obligation to repay SBMA's $158 million seaport loan has, after a ten year grace period, commenced this year, posing a real threat of impoverishing SBMA.

Container ships on the Hong Kong-U.S. West Coast trade typically return from the U.S. to Hong Kong loaded mostly with empty containers. I would expect that space for storing idle containers in crowded Hong Kong is limited, yet there is a need to have a ready supply of empty containers close at hand, to meet fluctuations in demand for containers. SBMA, in concert with the container port's operators, should offer shipping lines who load or discharge cargo at Subic, free storage of empty containers at Subic, together with free unloading and loading of the empty containers which the shipping line stores at Subic. Such an offer would be limited to shipping lines that agree to make regularly scheduled stops at Subic to unload and discharge cargo. The costs involved would be defrayed by restricting free storage of containers to a limited period of time-- after the expiration of that period, a storage fee would be charged.
This arrangement would take advantage of Subic's advantages--idle cargo handling equipment, empty container storage yards, competitive labor costs, and close proximity to Hong Kong. Containers might even stored on the idle Subic Raceway, adjacent to the container yards.

In this way, Subic's container port's business could be built up to where it is self-sustaining. After regular ship visits are established, and the container yard filled with inbound and outbound loaded containers, the empty container storage program could be phased out. Comments, anyone?

RP Energy Violates and Defies Our Community

It’s no surprise that the big firms behind the coal fired power plant in Subic think that they can railroad the Subic Communities but does Ray Cunningham from RP Energy also think we are stupid?

His latest statement that there is only minor opposition to the Coal Fired Power Plant is absurd and if that was the case why is he afraid to face the community?

This week SBMA organized a series of meetings across 3 days for all sectors to discuss opposition to the plant, if the opposition was minor and financial the meeting would have been an ideal opportunity to turn them community around, right?

The fact is that RP Energy attended the first day and realized that the community was united, consistent and holding a strong position against the power plant, so much so that RP Energy ran away and failed to turn up for the rest of the meetings.

Was it a case of bruised egos or a case of "if I can't get my own way I will take my bat and ball and go home".

There is no doubt to all observing this situation that RP Energy has no place in Subic, they have:

1) Violated their MOA with SBMA

2) Failed to take steps to protect the environment

3) Only provided reports that are slanted

4) Ignored environmental concerns

5) Ignored health concerns

6) Failed to deliver the benefits promised to the community

It was revealed by members of the SBMA board this week that RP Energy will only pay P1M per year in rent and only employ 150 people. This is an insult to our intelligence that anyone would agree with their project.

GO AWAY RP ENERGY YOU ARE NOT WANTED HERE!