Ano ne?

A well-placed source has whispered that a high-ranking Cabinet secretary, whose roots trace back to the previous administration, is preparing to step away from the spotlight. This isn’t just any official — this is a figure who has weathered political storms, navigated treacherous waters, and held a post so critical it’s practically the heartbeat of the nation’s stability.

It started with the recent courtesy resignations, de rigueur in the current administration.

Following the midterm elections, the President called on all Cabinet secretaries to tender their resignations as a prelude to a “recalibration” of the government’s priorities.

According to our source, this Cabinet secretary is “not happy anymore with what is happening.”

Particularly tantalizing is the revelation that this official was offered a “juicy post” as an alternative—a plum position that would have most scrambling to say yes.

Yet, in a move that has insiders raising their eyebrows, the official flatly turned it down. “Ayaw na talaga,” the source confided.

Could it be that this official feels like a fish out of water in the current setup?

Derating is cheating

Some power plants have been operating below capacity, which stakeholders say the Energy Regulatory Commission should probe and penalize. The ERC released a list of “derating plants” that are exposing consumers to unreliable electricity supply and higher power prices.

The list contained 22 power plant owners that have frequently operated at “derated” capacity from January to April 2025.

The ERC in allowing a leeway to these generating companies goes against the best interests of consumers. Perennial deration and forced outages among these plants risk the stability of the energy supply and trigger sky-high electricity prices with the passed-on rates.

“Many of these erring power plants or their owners should have long been penalized and even blacklisted,” Gerry Arances, convenor of Power for People, said.