Palace hit for inaction on Mindanao power crisis

By BONG FABE, Contributor

EXPRESSING dismay on the inaction of Malacanang to address the actual power crisis in Mindanao, a reelectionist congressman from the ranks of the opposition urged President Arroyo to immediately convene a special session of Congress to tackle the shortage of electricity in southern Philippines.

Rep. Rufus Rodriguez (2nd District, CDO, PMP) said Malacanang should now call for a special

session of Congress (House of Representatives and Senate) and not wait for the House speaker and Senate president to do so.

 “President Arroyo should immediately call for a special session of Congress. It is in her power to do so because the situation in Mindanao now calls for such action from the President,” he said in a mobile phone call Sunday night.

Rodriguez last week urged President Arroyo to declare Mindanao in a state of power crisis so that the National Power Corporation (NPC or NAPOCOR) can enter into contract with private power generating companies to help in mitigating the actual power crisis in the island.

Rodriguez said he was invoking Section 71 of the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA), which otherwise prohibits the National Power Corporation (NPC) and the NGCP from entering into such contracts.

Section 71 of the EPIRA law states that “upon the determination by the President of the Philippines of an imminent shortage of the supply of electricity, Congress may authorize, through a joint resolution, the establishment of additional generating capacity under such terms and conditions as it may approve.”

“We in Mindanao are not in an imminent shortage of electricity supply. We are now in a state of actual electricity shortage,” he stressed.

According to Rodriguez, if the President declares a power crisis in Mindanao, Congress through a joint resolution may empower the NPC to enter into contracts with independent power producers (IPPs) to require them to generate additional power.

But until now, the Palace by the Pasig River sits on his proposal, prompting Rodriguez to say:

“What are they trying to do? Why are they not doing anything to address the actual power shortage in Mindanao? Is there a hidden agenda behind their inaction?”

Rodriguez said that the 11 hours blackout here last Sunday will not be the end of widespread blackouts if Malacanang continue to do nothing to address the shortage of electricity in Mindanao.

“I greatly fear that this power crisis will affect the elections in May if Malacanang fails to address this shortage of electricity in Mindanao. And if there will be widespread blackouts on May 10, 2010, there will probably be a failure of elections in Mindanao. Is that what they want to condition the people to think?” he asked.

Rodriguez said it is now imperative for Malacanang to immediately call Congress to a special session to erase negative thoughts from the minds of the Filipino nation, especially those in Mindanao, that the Arroyo administration is riding on the issue to perpetuate itself in power.