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MANILA, Philippines – (UPDATED) The House committee on energy on Tuesday, November 18, voted in favor of the resolution granting President Benigno Aquino III emergency powers to help abate the anticipated power shortage in the summer of 2015.
Nineteen members voted in favor of the resolution, one voted against it, and one abstained.
The resolution will now go to the plenary for second reading.
The bill, House Joint Resolution 21, authorizes Aquino to generate additional power generating capacity, as mandated by Republic Act No. 9136 or the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA).
In September, Aquino asked Congress to grant him special powers to contract additional power generating capacity to address the expected shortage in 2015.
Oriental Mindoro Representative Reynaldo Umali, House energy committee chairman, had said that they aim to pass the joint resolution by the end of November.
On November 14, the House committee on energy filed a resolution proposing that the government reimburse companies enrolled in the Interruptible Load Program (ILP), a private-sector initiative meant to safeguard against possible outages in the hottest season in 2015.
The Senate hearings, meanwhile, are on hold for now.
The senators’ priority is to pass the 2015 national budget, Senator Sergio Osmeña III said on Monday, November 17.
“For now, the senators are busy to pass the most important law every year, which is the national budget. There are instructions already from the Senate President’s office that there’d be no hearing until we pass the national budget,” Osmeña said.
Manila Electric Company (Meralco) spokesperson Joe Zaldarriaga said the emergency powers is a policy issue that is best addressed by the government.
“… But on Meralco’s part we have been supporting the Department of Energy’s (DOE) ILP and we have been working very closely with all stakeholders especially in pushing energy efficiency,” Zaldariagga told Rappler.
Malacañang in turn thanked the House for its cooperation but said it now awaits the Senate vote since what the administration needs is a joint resolution of both Houses.
Palace Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr also reiterated the administration’s vow that it would not allow a power crisis to take place, noting its negative effect to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).– with reports from Natashya Gutierrez and Mick Basa/Rappler.com
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