House ‘likely’ to grant Aquino emergency powers–Belmonte

By: Marc Jayson Cayabyab - 10 years ago

Philippine President Benigno Aquino III, center, is applauded by Senate President Franklin Drilon, left, and House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, right, after his 5th State of the Nation Address during the joint session of the 16th Congress at the House of Representatives in suburban Quezon city. AP FILE PHOTO/Aaron Favila

MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives will “very likely” grant President Benigno Aquino III the emergency powers he will need to address the looming power shortage in 2015, Speaker Feliciano Belmonte said Friday.

“Very likely. We dread shortages in 2015,” Belmonte said in a text message to reporters.

The Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) allows emergency powers to the President “upon the determination by the President of the Philippines of an imminent shortage of the supply of electricity.”

“Congress may authorize, through a joint resolution, the establishment of additional generating capacity under such terms and conditions as it may approve,” Section 71 of the law reads.

The House leader added that the chamber would still wait for further instructions from the President on how to draft the joint resolution.

“We need to know exactly what will be done,” he added.

Aquino announced that he would be seeking additional powers to have the legal mandate to contract additional power capacity in 2015.

“Very soon, we will formally ask Congress for a joint resolution, that will authorize the national government to contract an additional generating capacity to address the 300-megawatt projected deficit, and, on top of that, to have sufficient regulating reserves equivalent to four percent of peak demand, for another 300 megawatts,” Aquino said on Thursday in a bid to address the expected shortage in summer, when thinning power reserves were likely.

However, Aquino assured the business sector that government intervention would only address the power shortage.

“We have no plans of intervening to distort the market or complicate the situation even further,” Aquino explained.