Philippine News
Joint panel won’t endorse granting of PNoy’s emergency powers
MANILA – Amid the looming energy crisis next summer, the Joint Congressional Power Commission (JCPC) said that they have no plans of endorsing Congress proposals to grant President Aquino’s emergency powers.
The commission, through its member, said that based on their initial studies, the president don’t need to use his emergency powers to address the forecasted power crisis.
This is because industries and private firms still have as much as 3,900 megawatts of “embedded power.”
Oriental Mindoro Reynaldo Umali, a member of the JCPC, said that Energy Secretary Jericho Petilla is proposing to grant Aquino his emergency powers in order to allow government’s use of diesel generators through contracts.
Umali, however, noted that tapping idle power in private industries which will cost the government about P200 billion, is better than Petilla’s option which will cost the government P14 billion.
He also added that the energy secretary’s proposed move will only be for a two-year lease on the power barges and will be used only in critical periods.