Noy expected to certify as urgent resolution on special powers

MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino is expected to certify as urgent the proposed joint resolution granting him emergency powers to ensure stable power supply in Luzon this summer.

The proposed Joint Resolution 21 seeks to grant Aquino the authority to tap into the huge generators of commercial establishments under the Interruptible Load Program (ILP) to ensure stable power supply this summer when demand is high and power plants tend to break down.

The measure was filed by Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales Jr., Minority Leader Ronaldo Zamora, Deputy Speaker Henedina Abad, Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone, 1-Care party-list Rep. Edgardo Masongsong, and Oriental Mindoro Rep. Reynaldo Umali on Thursday.

Umali, chairman of the energy committee, said the panel aims to vote on the measure on Tuesday or at least by Wednesday, and present the final version to the plenary of the House of Representatives the following week.

He noted that the certification from Aquino is necessary to allow the House to approve the resolution on second and third reading in one plenary session.

Normally, there is at least a three-session day gap between a bill’s approval on second and third reading.

“I don’t think there will be much of a debate both in the committee and in plenary, especially since we’ve removed the very costly proposal from Malacañang to lease or buy gensets (generator sets) which saved us as much as P12 billion that would have been passed on to consumers,” said Umali, who also co-chairs the Joint Congressional Power Commission (JCPC).

“The certification will allow us to meet our deadline of enacting the resolution before December,” he added.

Umali said Energy Secretary Jericho Petilla found the draft resolution “OK” when he asked Petilla during the founding anniversary of Oriental Mindoro yesterday, where the secretary was guest of honor.

Petilla had been insisting on leasing or buying power barges that the House leadership shot down for being too expensive and prone to corruption.

He said Sen. Sergio Osmeña III, chairman of the Senate energy committee and of the JCPC, is also finalizing his own version of the resolution that is expected to have very little conflicting provisions with the House draft.

He said Osmeña was initially very reluctant to approve the measure, especially after officials from the Department of Energy (DOE) admitted before lawmakers that were will be no actual power shortage in Luzon during the hot months but only thin or zero reserves.

‘Carrot and stick’ in ILP

Under the ILP, large private firms and establishments, such as malls, are asked to disconnect from the grid and run their own generators during peak demand periods to free up power for use of household and others users, preventing a rotating blackout.