To date, there are yet no reported takers for the government tender to purchase badly-needed coal to replenish the dwindling stocks of Napocor's different coal-fired power plants. Not that anybody has taken pains to keep the bidding a secret. It has even been published in the Napocor's website for all to see.

The problem, however, is the purchase price being offered at US$125 to $140 per ton is far too law compared to the prevailing world market prices is already at $160 per ton, which is at an all-time high following the decision of major source China to cut back on its exports to meet its own growing domestic demand.

With summer just around the corner and power consumption not only expected to skyrocket but to become dependent on more costly imported fossil fuels, the country could be facing a disaster. Just the Calaca and Masinloc coal power plants supply an estimated 900 megawatts of power. Coal-fired plants comprise an estimated 26 percent of our total generating capacity and are vital cogs in keeping the country's energy demand met. If these plants stop for any reason such as the lack of the appropriate fuel, we can all expect a long hot summer that will definitely further enrage the public against this administration.

It does not take a genius to figure out that those power plants have to be kept running at all costs. This primarily means keeping them adequately supplied with coal. And, since the bidding offer seems most likely to be headed for a failure on account of the low price, it will come as no surprise that Napocor executives may soon "resort" to another "emergency purchase" by negotiating directly with selected suppliers instead of a public bidding as they are trying to do now.

The last time Napocor officials entered into this kind of an arrangement, we ended up paying P655 million more than the prevailing work market price. Not only was the coal price way above the going rate, even the exchange rates were also not in our favor. These costs were simply tacked on to our electric bills. And that was only last summer.

By a sheer stroke of genius, it seems that these Napocor executives have got themselves well covered now. They only need to say that any emergency purchase, no matter how overpriced these may be, was preceded by a regular bidding that failed and no one can fault them for bleeding the Filipino people dry.

They can even tell the world that they took the effort to bring the purchase price of the coal they needed down but simply failed on account of their "overzealous diligence" to protect consumer interests. Who is to say that the bidding was programmed to fail in the first place? What we possibly have here is the perfect crime in the making.

The basic duty of every public official and employee is to serve the public interest with the utmost dedication and diligence. Of course, it means different things to different public officials employees. For Napocor executives, it means in part keeping those power plants running efficiently at the lowest possible cost.

Have they really done that? It is a wonder Napocor officials would even try to order coal at below the prevailing world market price if they are really serious about getting the stocks they need. The only rational explanation why they did that are they is either incompetence at their jobs or plotting something really disadvantageous big time against poor electricity consumers. Take your pick.