BAD TRAINING: Now that the barangay elections are over, and with ample time for electoral reforms, the Aquino administration can proceed to (1) revamp the system of choosing barangay leaders and (2) completely scrap the Sangguniang Kabataan polls.

The Sangguniang Kabataan must be abolished, because it gives the youth, especially scions of political dynasties, an early hands-on training in corruption and power play; wastes taxpayers’ money that should go to essential services; and gives the young distorted views and values.

The SK is a latter-day version of the Kabataang Barangay of the power apparatus of Marcosian martial rule. Apparently inspired by the Hitler Youth corps of the Nazis, Marcos’ KB was meant to direct the Filipino youth to the idolatrous support for the dictator.

It was obvious that Marcos launched the KB also to help prepare his daughter Imee, who then displayed more political promise than her brother Bongbong, for a key leadership position in a political structure designed to last after the dictator’s death.

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SPEEDY, THIS TIME: The Commission on Elections sometimes surprises. It showed last Sunday that it was capable, after all, of acting fast on such urgent poll issues as the disqualification of undeserving candidates.

Given by the Department of the Interior and Local Government a list of “multiple termers” among the candidates in yesterday’s barangay elections, the Comelec announced that not one of the overstaying village chiefs would be proclaimed winner even if they won in the counting.

DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo listed 4,433 (out of a total of 42,025) barangay chairmen who, he said, were no longer eligible to run since they were already in or over their third consecutive term, which was the limit set by law.

How come the Comelec did not act with similar speed, resolve and consistency when it was formally asked to disqualify Party-List candidates or nominees who were clearly not of the marginalized and forsaken sectors they claimed to represent?

Worse, the Comelec action on Party-List disqualifications was discriminatory, if not transactional. It upheld some questioned PL nominees, but refused to recognize, or left hanging, others who were similarly situated. Why the inconsistency?

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POWER POINTS: A lively discussion was whipped up by our recent Postscript on the looming power (electricity) crisis, with many readers throwing in positive points.

Pangasinan Rep. Kimi S. Cojuangco, mother of three and vice chair of the House committee on energy, said in an email:

“Instead of scrambling around in panic mode to fill in our power supply shortage, our government should make its number one consideration the cost of power. We must find a solution that will attract investors and eventually solve our economic woes.

“We have a gold mine right under our noses. I am referring to the Bataan nuclear power plant. The question of course is ‘Is it safe?’ The only way to know is to have the plant validated by experts. Technology has come a long way since the plant was built.

“If declared safe, as a country, we must decide whether to run it or not. To date, we have already spent $2.5 billion just to maintain the plant. Is this, ‘money down the drain’ or is this an ‘investment’?

“If the BNPP is declared safe by international standards, and we do decide to run it, power will cost only P2.50 per kilowatt-hour.  Compare that to P8.50 per kwh for coal-powered plants.

“We will need $1 billion to rehabilitate the BNPP. A brand-new nuclear power plant will cost $8-$10 billion and 10 years to build. It will take us two years to rehabilitate the BNPP. Is this not worth considering?

“I hope our leaders will see the wisdom of validating the BNPP. And hopefully, if we are lucky and it is declared safe, we have a good future.

“The rest of the world is either using nuclear power or in the process of building new plants. If coal plants were the answer, then why do they continue using and building new nuclear-power plants? Even Vietnam has just ordered three nuclear power plants. This is because nuclear power was found to be the safest, cleanest and cheapest form of power.

“Trade and Industry Secretary Gregory Domingo has said that electric power cost and supply is the biggest hindrance to our economic growth. It is time for us to make a decision, once and for all, whether to run the BNPP or not. This is one way to avert another costly power emergency that happened in the 90’s.”

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LOCAL OPERATORS: Reader Manuel C. Diaz said:

“Have you not noticed that the power plants in Sual (in Pangasinan) and Pagbilao (in Quezon) have been experiencing successive mechanical failures after they were taken over by the locals, particularly San Miguel Corp. and the Aboitiz Group?

“Regarding reserve power, why is it that the Department of Energy has no contingency plan of reviving the Malaya and the Sucat bunker-fired power plants or converting these two plants into gas-fired using Malampaya gas by extending the pipeline from Batangas to Pililla and Sucat?

“Or do not these two conversions generate enough kickbacks to warrant the attention of greedy bureaucrats compared to multi-million-dollar brand-new highly polluting coal-fired power plants?

“The locals who took over the contract supplying the power needs of Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao are not making enough money in selling power, but look at the commissions these locals are getting from Indonesian coal providers. That is tax-free money.”

Postscript adds: What is the Aquino administration’s long-term strategic power program?