Duterte vows better energy supply in Palawan before yearend

MANILA, Philippines — Palawan will have better energy supply before the year ends, President Rodrigo Duterte gave this assurance on Thursday night during his visit to the island-province.

“I assure you that before the end of the year there’s a reduced rotation in the number of hours and maybe lessening of the inconvenience,” Duterte said during the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) campaign rally.

The President noted that Shanghai Electric is currently conducting a study about the power situation in the province.

“Shanghai Electric will be completing its studies and hopefully by the end of the year,” he added.

Duterte also lamented the slow the government action, saying that red tape hinders the approval of important state projects.

“I must admit that one of the reasons why I am pissed off to no end is really the way government moves. Napakatagal ho talaga (It takes a long time). At minsan napakatagal (Sometimes it takes a long time) because they purposely do it to commit graft and sometimes it is really circuitous thing, a very tedious process of getting the papers to the grid. There is always a monkey wrench,” he said.

In November last year, Duterte visited Palawan and asked its electric cooperative to resolve the frequent power outages.

READ: Power crisis hits Palawan

He even threatened to get a new electricity operator for the province should they fail to address his order. /ee

READ: Duterte to Palawan power firm: Shape up or face takeover