Administration lawmakers said yesterday President Aquino might call a special session so Congress could grant him emergency powers to allow him to swiftly resolve the worsening power situation in Mindanao.
Aquino, meanwhile, appealed to the public to give the government more time to solve the power crisis. He said the solutions could not be undertaken overnight as the problem had been neglected by previous administrations.
Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone, chairman of the House committee on public information, warned of more economic losses and damage to the image of the Philippines before the investor community if the widespread blackouts in Mindanao would continue.
“The situation could be considered urgent and critical that needs swift action from the President,” he said. “Many of us in the administration bloc are willing to support moves to grant the President emergency powers if necessary.”
Ang Kasangga party-list Rep. Teodorico Haresco, vice chairman of the House committee on small business and entrepreneurship development, and Negros Occidental Rep. Albee Benitez also supported calls to give Aquino more muscle to address the power crisis in Mindanao.
“We cannot just flick our fingers and command the Department of Energy (DOE) to correct the imbalance between demand and supply of energy. This administration is barely two years old and the Mindanao energy problem has been there since three decades ago,” Haresco said.
He said it would take at least two years to rehabilitate a power plant and many years – including four years for government approval processes – to build one from the ground up.
Continue Reading at By Paolo Romero (The Philippine Star)
