With Energy Secretary Angelo T. Reyes bent on seeking a political post in next year’s elections, Malacañang is reportedly keeping its eye on Jose C. Ibazeta for the Department of Energy (DoE) post.

Ibazeta, current president of the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corporation (PSALM), has steered the government’s power privatization program into fruition in the past two to three years.

With Ibazeta taking the energy department’s helm, it was likewise tipped off that Froilan A. Tampinco may move back to PSALM as officerin-charge; while his post at the National Power Corporation (NPC) may be relinquished to Pio J. Benavidez, currently the company’s senior vice president.

“It will be a rigodon of sorts in the energy sector if Ibazeta will be named for the DoE post,” a highly placed source said.

In an interview over the phone, Ibazeta said he has not been informed or offered of the post; stressing that what he is concentrating right now would be to get things done on the privatization schedules at PSALM.

It was learned from sources though that Ibazeta’s determined resolve in the power industry privatization was among the major qualities that Malacañang has been considering in tapping Ibazeta for the DoE position.

After surpassing the 70-percent divestment threshold for power generation assets, PSALM is working next on meeting the prescribed privatization level for NPC’s contracts with independent power producers.

Reports indicated though that there is still some degree of tug-ofwar as to who should be designated to the department. It was learned that Reyes’ preference as his successor is current Energy undersecretary Roy Kyamko. There are also reports that Energy Undersecretary Zamzamin Ampatuan is being groomed for the job as well.

If and when the power sector privatization czar is finally offered the energy post, he will be facing tough issues not only in advancing the power industry’s restructuring program but also controversial concerns, like frequent pump price adjustments and the lingering price control controversy.

In fact, the repeated price adjustments implemented by the oil companies have been viewed as the biggest encumbrance for Reyes as far as securing his confirmation from the Commission on Appointments (CA) is concerned. He had been bypassed several times and the leftist and transport groups almost considered him their chief antagonist.

Even the Palace as well as Presidential son and House committee on energy chair Mikey Arroyo constantly blame the oil companies’ price adjustments as the factor supposedly pulling down President Arroyo’s approval ratings.