Aquino rules out state of emergency in Mindanao due to power crisis — for now

President Benigno Aquino III on Thursday said he sees no need for him to use emergency powers to solve the energy crisis in Mindanao, amid worries that the region's power supply shortage may negatively affect the 2013 midterm elections. “Baka dapat i-define pa natin kung ano bang emergency powers ang gustong gawin. But again, napaka-specific ‘yung provisions ng EPIRA Law. Prinayvitize na nga natin ‘yung industry dealing with the electricity,” Aquino said in Naga City, following the groundbreaking of the Jesse M. Robredo Monument and briefing on the proposed Jesse M. Robredo Museum there. Aquino made the statements following the call of several businessmen, including the Zamboanga Chamber of Commerce and Industry Foundation, Inc. (ZCCIFI), that he invoke his special powers to solve the energy crisis in Mindanao. “By invoking Section 71 [of EPIRA,] red tape can be cut and the lengthy procedure in starting a new power project, which normally takes around two years to process, can be shortened,” ZCCIFI president Pedro Rufo Soliven said in an earlier interview. Republic Act 9136, or the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA), has provisions for the President to declare a state of emergency following a shortage of electricity supply. However, a joint resolution from Congress is needed before the President’s emergency powers kick in. But Aquino maintained that he sees no need for him to invoke those powers, saying that the administration has proper contingency plans for the elections in Mindanao to go smoothly. “Pero ‘yung kung sa eleksyon ang pinag-uusapan, gumawa na ng paraan para siguraduhin na walang failure dahil mawawalan ng kuryente,” Aquino clarified. Outline of plans Meanwhile, Aquino also announced that Department of Energy Secretary Jericho Petilla will present possible solutions to the energy crisis in Mindanao shortly. “Probably by tomorrow, Secretary Petilla will be presenting an immediate solution,” Aquino said, adding that the government will most likely turn to diesel as a short term solution. “‘Yung immediate solution will probably be a diesel-powered plant. Bakit diesel? ‘Yon ang pinakamabilis na maitatayo. May kailangan ng aksyon from Congress, joint resolution, I understand, to authorize us to purchase. Under EPIRA, hindi na kasi puwedeng bumili ng generating capacity ulit ang gobyerno,” Aquino said. But Aquino also stressed that it will take time before the energy crisis in Mindanao is fully addressed. “Balikan ko lang, ano, ‘pag nagtayo ng power plant, hindi naman tayo makakabili na ma-install bukas; hindi simpleng generator lang ‘yan. So ‘pag 'yung coal power plant, between two to three years to set it up, amongst others. So inaayos natin ‘yung problemang minana natin. Humihingi tayo ng pag-unawa,” Aquino said. “Alam naman niyo ‘yung kuryente sa Mindanao, karamihan hydro. So, nakaimbak ‘yung tubig to ensure precisely na may adequate na electricity, especially for election day,” Aquino added. Crisis repeat? While the Aquino administration has constantly touted its moves to solve the crisis in Mindanao, a policy think-tank was less optimistic, saying in late February that the region may see a repeat of the crisis, due to the lack of significant increase in its capacity to provide electricity amid the dwindling state of energy infrastructure.   “Although the Mindanao electric power crisis has passed, it might stage a comeback given that there had been no additions to the baseload capacity recently,” read a recent study by Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS)'s senior research fellow Adoracion Navarro.   Aquino also noted that the rotations of scheduled brownouts has become unfair to provinces at the farther end of Mindanao, which constantly run out of electricity. “May kasunduan kasi na paghahatian ‘yung shortages. Ngayon, ‘yung Zamboanga City, nasa dulo nung grid. Ang problema lahat ng mga nauna sa grid, lumalagpas ‘yung kinukuha nila o kinukonsumo nilang kuryente doon sa pinagkasunduan. Nakakawawa ‘yung Zamboanga na ubos na lahat bago umabot sa kanila, so sila ang pinakakawawa. So towards that end, magkakaroon ng mga penalties and fines on those who overdrew beyond their stated limits,” Aquino said. The Mindanao power crisis stems from the region’s use of cheap hydropower, which has the potential to run dry during the summer months. “Now, to solve the crisis in Mindanao, ‘Yung, kung babalik-tanaw tayo diyan, masyadong matagal na napakamura nung kuryente dahil puro hydro ang pinagmumulan ng kuryente natin sa Mindanao na ‘yung cost of generation sa hydro ay napaka[baba] at nakatayo na’t lahat, na hindi kayang mag-compete nung pribadong sektor through other uses,” Aquino said, adding that illegal activities have made the crisis worse. “Marami ng siltation sa river waste diyan; ‘yung illegal logging na lalong nagpasira sa watershed, nakaapekto rin sa ability to generate electricity,” he said. — BM, GMA News