FILE PHOTO: President Benigno S. Aquino III delivers his speech during the 13th Asian Forum on Corporate Social Responsibility (AFCSR) at the Rizal Grand Ballroom of the Makati Shangri-La Hotel in Makati City on Wednesday night (September 03). (Photo by Robert Viñas / Malacañang Photo Bureau)
MANILA, Philippines – Posibleng umabot sa 1,000 megawatts ang kakulangan sa supply ng kuryente sa taong 2015 sa Luzon.
Ito ang iniulat ni Pangulong Benigno Aquino III, Huwebes ng umaga sa Makati City kaugnay ng paglulunsad ng 420-megawatt (MW) Pagbilao III Power Plant project sa Quezon Province na inaasahang matatapos sa taong 2017.
“I am told that the worst case scenario even involves a shortage of around a 1000 megawatts. Let me assure you: we are keeping tabs on all the factors involved, and I am very much aware that government cannot be complacent in addressing these issues. After all, should there be a shortage, it is our people who will bear the brunt of the burden and no amount of excuses or explanations will be able to temper the anger of the public.”
Bunsod nito, hihilingin ng pangulo sa kongreso na magsulong ng joint resolution upang masolusyunan ang napipintong problema sa kuryente.
“To be more efficient and impactful in our efforts, very soon, we will formally ask Congress for a joint resolution, that will authorize the national government to contract an additional generating capacity to address the 300-megawatt projected deficit, and, on top of that, to have sufficient regulating reserves equivalent to four percent of peak demand, for another 300 megawatts.”
Nilinaw naman ni Pangulong Aquino sa pribadong sektor na ang gagawing paghiling ng pamahalaan ng kapangyarihan upang mangontrata ay hindi naglalayong guluhin ang electricity market.
“Let me assure our partners from the private sector: Government intervention will be focused solely on addressing the projected shortage. We have no plans of intervening to distort the market or complicate the situation even further,” saad pa ng Pangulo.
Samantala, ayaw namang kumpirmahin ni Department of Energy Secretary Jericho Petilla kung emergency power ang hihilingin ni Pangulong Aquino sa kongreso.
Aniya, “It’s more upon authority to contract rather than a totalitarian emergency power.”
Ngunit ayon sa kalihim, kailangang ma-invoke ng pangulo ang electric power crisis provision ng Epira Law partikular ang Section 71 upang makapag-establish ng additional generating capacity ang pamahalaan.
“We’re not after other thing other than allow the government to contract additional capacity on a short term basis that’s it. Ang sabi nila mangontrata na lang kayo e bawal nga e and for that to legalize you need a president to declare that there is a power crisis,” anang kalihim.
Sinabi naman ni Bayan Muna Partylist Representative Neri Colmenares na mapanganib ang umano’y joint resolution na hinihiling ni Pangulong Aquino.
Saad nito, ang emergency power ay magbibigay ng kapangyarihan sa Pangulo sa pagdedesisyon at hindi na kailangang dumaan pa sa Kongreso at gobyerno.
Ito ay gaya anila ng RA 7648 na noon ay nagbigay ng emergency power kay dating Pangulong Fildel V. Ramos.
Dagdag pa ng mambabatas, posibleng magresulta ito ng lalong pagtaas ng persyo ng kuryente.
“Kasi pag nasa EP na syembre ibebenta nila ng mahal sayo ang kuryente kasi emergency nga eh,” ani Colmenares. (Nel Maribojoc / Ruth Navales, UNTV News)