Senator JV Ejercito asked the Aquino administration to come up with a comprehensive energy road map and renewed his call to review the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA law) to avert a power crisis.
“There is no need for emergency powers to be granted to the President. What the government should do is to have a clear energy plan and review the EPIRA law. Instead of emergency powers, the executive should busy themselves in formulating a plan so that we can have an all-inclusive energy road map,” the minority senator said.
Amid various proposals to address the worsening power situation, Ejercito reminded the public that the EPIRA law is already in place and needs to be revised with safeguards against insufficient power generation with the frequent and unscheduled power plant shutdowns, collusion between power producers and the sharp increase of electricity rates.
“Let us also not lose focus on the real problem. The widespread outrage of consumers all boils down to the high electricity costs and the alleged collusion between power distributors,” he said.
Senator Ejercito urged the Senate Committee on Energy to fast-track the probe on the alleged collusion on the abrupt increase of power generation costs which shall resume on January 20.
He also asked the public to remain vigilant regardless of the ruling of the Supreme Court on the temporary restraining order against the power rate increase imposed by the Manila Electric Co.
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PRESS RELEASE
Reference: Rikki Mathay
