By LITO RULONA with NITZ ARANCON Correspondents RESIGNED Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla yesterday the 1Mindanao Energy Cooperative (1MIECOOP) the thumbs-up in its bid to operate and manage the Agus-Pulangi Hydro Electric Power Plants (HEPP) that have the capacity to supply half of Mindanao’s power needs. Petilla, who keynoted the Mindanao Power Summit organized by the the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) and various cooperatives at the Limketkai Atrium, was sent by President Aquino who failed to come. Aquino reportedly begged off because he was attending to concerns due to the onslaught of tropical storm “Egay” in Luzon. Petilla said it was time for Mindanao-based cooperatives to acquire the hydroelectric power plants. “If the Agus-Pulangi hydro power plants are privatized, there is no guarantee that the power rates would still be low. If we can allow the hydro power plants to owned by cooperatives, then it would be the time for Mindanaoans to make a positive action,” he said. Petilla said there were two options––either the power plants are obtained through the Mindanao Power Corp. which is a government-owned and -controled corporation (GOCC) or through Mindanao-based cooperatives. Petillas, although resigned, has continued to serve as energy secretary, and said he would continue to do so until Aquino names his successor. Some five thousand cooperative members gathered here yesterday to formally offer to Malacañang their bid to operate and manage the Agus-Pulangi plants. 1MIECOOP federation chairman Glicerio Tan said the offer would be the best option because Mindanao-based cooperatives can own and run these and still keep the power rates down. “The summit is part of the process for us to inform President Aquino that we want to obtain the hydro-generating power plants in Mindanao. Through unity of our organizations, we believed that we can achieve this goal,” Tan said. He said they were optimistic that the national government consider the offer of the federation which have some 3.5 million cooperative members throughout Mindanao, including the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Armm). “Dako ang purohan nga moubos ang singil sa kuryente tungod kay dili naman usa ka company. If it is owned by the cooperative, then the profits would be returned back to the consuming public,” Tan said. “If realized, the acquisition of the Agus-Pulangi would be in accordance with the cooperatives’ mandate of promoting the equitable distribution of wealth, primarily to the electricity consumers in Mindanao, and serve as socio-economic model that would spur inclusive growth and development in Mindanao and will give real life to the meaning of transformative cooperative development,” according to CDA chairman Orlando Ravanera. Ravanera, meanwhile, said President Aquino was expected to come but there were pressing concerns that needed his attention. “He sent me a letter, and he inform me that he cannot come during the summit due to matters of the state,” he said.