House Committee OKs Session on Special Powers for GMA

MANILA, Philippines - After a 4-hour hearing, the House committee on energy approved on Monday a motion by Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez asking the president to call for a joint session of Congress to invoke Section 71 of the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) that will give her powers to address the shortage of power in the country.

The motion was made and approved towards the end of the hearing.

But even before the motion was approved, Parañaque Rep. Roilo Golez expressed doubts if it will become a reality, noting that many lawmakers from the House and Senate are already busy campaigning for various elective posts.

This prompted Rep. Joboy Aquino to emotionally call on his colleagues to pass the measure, stressing his constituents from Mindanao have suffered so much from rotating brownouts. Aquino even offered to fly his colleagues to Mindanao for free so they can see for themselves the plight of people in Mindanao.

Power supply contracts

Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes, for his part, clarified that what he recommended to the president was that she invoke Section 71 of the EPIRA, which would allow the executive, subject to limitations imposed by Congress in a joint resolution, to address the power shortage by specifically, entering into new contracts with power suppliers.

Reyes was answering questions on whether he recommended to the president the declaration of a state of emergency that would allow government to take over power generation companies.

House energy committee chairman Pampanga Rep. Mikey Arroyo said emergency powers for the president should be the last resort. The younger Arroyo says that if all fails, then they will resort to granting the president emergency powers.

House Speaker Prospero Nograles said in a text message that there is no need for emergency powers for the president as the president already has enough powers.

“No need for special session. Energy laws have enough powers to address crisis and to act swiftly. The executive department has enough powers on its own already," Nograles said.

Luzon brownouts

For now, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) revealed there is a shortage of power nationwide resulting in 2-3 hour rotating brownouts. This is because of the unscheduled shutdown of 3 plants in Luzon.

These plants supply to Luzon, which, in turn, exports power via submarine cable to the Visayas.

Mindanao already has an electricity shortage because of the shutdown of the hydroelectric power plants due to the El Niño phenomenon.

Reyes, however, said that barring any unexpected power plant shutdowns, the Luzon grid should have enough contingency reserves from March to May after securing commitments from power stakeholders in the area in meetings to boost their capacity.

For the Visayas, Reyes said there should be no power interruptions anymore with the putting online of 2 power plants by the Cebu Energy Development Corporation.

However, the situation in Mindanao, which currently experiences as much as 9- to 12-hour brownouts, may worsen, according to Reyes, to 24-hour brownouts if no new investments in the energy sector there are made. For now, the NGCP can only upgrade generating facilities. --By RG Cruz,

Souce: ABS-CBN News