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The Senate committee on energy will investigate the rotational blackouts affecting parts of Luzon.
Senator Win Gatchalian, the panel chair, said in a statement on Thursday, June 3, that he filed Senate Resolution No. 740 to formally call for an inquiry into the power outages.
Gatchalian said the Department of Energy (DOE) must be held accountable for its “failure to address power supply shortages since 2016.” Rappler asked him when the hearing would be conducted but he has yet to reply as of posting.
He recalled the hearing his panel conducted last April 27, when Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi assured senators that there would be no blackouts during the dry season this year.
Barely a month later, several areas in Luzon began experiencing rotational blackouts.
“This is a critical situation and I would like to request the Department of Energy to get all hands on deck especially in the next coming days because from the forecast that I am seeing, there will be problem of load dropping in the next eight days,” said Gatchalian.
He said the DOE must be able to provide long-term solutions to the country’s energy crisis.
“All these things are necessary to protect the public and the economy from losses due to power outages and the resulting high prices of electricity due to limited power supply,” said Gatchalian.
Senator Risa Hontiveros likewise called for an investigation into the Luzon blackouts, warning it could cause an “extra logistical challenge” in the storage of coronavirus vaccines should this continue amid the onslaught of Tropical Storm Dante.
“Hindi lamang ito tungkol sa appliances sa ating mga bahay. Napakarami pang mga bakuna sa freezer at may bagyo pang dumating. Mahalagang malaman ng publiko ang paliwanag dahil kailangang-kailangan ng bansa ng kuryente ngayon,” Hontiveros stated.
(This is not just about appliances at home. There are a lot of vaccines being stored in freezers and there’s even a storm. It’s important that the public know the reason behind these blackouts because the country is in dire need of electricity right now.)
She also slammed Cusi for being preoccupied with the infighting within the ruling PDP-Laban, of which he is vice chairman, instead of addressing the energy problem head-on.
Senator Manny Pacquiao, who is currently at loggerheads with Cusi in PDP-Laban, had delivered a privilege speech criticizing the DOE chief as well.
Rotational blackouts again hit Luzon on Wednesday, June 2, as the grid was placed under red alert for the third straight day. Rotational blackouts are expected when the grid is under red alert.
The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines said rotational blackouts may last until June 7, citing the unplanned outage of a power plant. – Rappler.com
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