Senator Grace Poe expressed her panel’s readiness to conduct a review on the agency’s franchise —LYN RILLON
MANILA, Philippines — Another legislator, this time Senator Grace Poe, pushed for reviewing the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines’ (NGCP) franchise following the Panay-wide blackout in early January.
Poe, chairperson of the Senate committee on public services, emphasized on Tuesday that “there should be no room for inefficiency, mismanagement, and blunders” with a franchise as vital and critical as NGCP’s.
“The recurring blackout in the Panay Island showed something needs fixing to ensure uninterrupted delivery of cheap, stable, and accessible electricity to our people in Panay,” said Poe in a statement.
“We need to see if the NGCP is keeping up with its obligations under its franchise,” she added, noting that Congress has the power to do so.
The senator then expressed her panel’s readiness to review the agency’s franchise.
Senators Risa Hontiveros, Francis Tolentino, and Imee Marcos earlier filed separate resolutions calling for a Senate probe on the massive Panay blackout.
Senators Raffy Tulfo, Ronald dela Rosa, and Sherwin Gatchalian have likewise expressed their plans to file separate measures to investigate the blackout.
A motu proprio investigation on the issue, to be headed by the chamber’s committee energy, is already set for Wednesday, January 10.