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Senate probe into ‘unacceptable’ Panay blackout floated
By HANA BORDEY, GMA Integrated NewsSeveral senators have floated a possible Senate investigation into what they call the “unacceptable” power outage that hit Panay Island.
“Absolutely incensed and dismayed,” Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said an investigation must be done if it is necessary to address the root cause of the persistent power outage in several provinces in Western Visayas, which he said are “no longer tolerable.”
Zubiri urged the Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) to fix the problem before irreparable damage is done in the communities.
“The DOE and the NGCP must understand the gravity of this situation and act decisively to resolve the situation. They should get their acts together immediately. We demand transparency in identifying the root causes of these outages and a comprehensive plan of action to resolve them,” Zubiri said.
“Constant power interruptions have widespread effects on our communities, extending beyond mere inconvenience. They affect not only businesses, livelihood and the delivery of basic services to the people, but they have dire and far-reaching consequences on the lives of citizens,” he added.
The DOE said on Thursday that it is "open" to any investigation into the matter. Iloilo City Representative Julienne “Jam-Jam” Baronda earlier called for a House hearing.
Senate Energy Committee Chairman Raffy Tulfo, vice chairman Sherwin Gatchalian, and Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, in separate statements, said they will file different resolutions upon the resumption of sessions.
Tulfo said he will file a resolution to exact accountability while Gatchalian said the investigation that he will seek is intended to propose policy recommendations to prevent disruptions in the future.
For his part, Dela Rosa said he will file a separate resolution to look into the reports that the NGCP is involved in the recent power outage in Panay Island.
“I will file a resolution seeking for an investigation sa isyu na ‘yan kasi NGCP na naman ang involved. Sabi nila NGCP. Para malaman natin kung ano ba talaga, kung bakit nagkaganoon,” he said.
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Senator Grace Poe, chairperson of the Senate public services committee, said someone should be accountable for the latest blackout that brought inconvenience to the people.
“The blackout that happened in April last year in the island provinces should have been an eye opener for the NGCP and power utilities. They should have been better prepared for any system disturbance and avert such with efficient planning and utilization of resources,” she said.
“Dapat may managot sa panibagong blackout na ito na nagpapahirap sa mga tao,” she added.
Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva stressed the need for short-term and long-term plans to ensure that there will be no power disruptions in the future.
These plans should include proper maintenance of power plants, generators and similar facilities.
Apart from this, Villanueva urged the exploration of other sources of renewable energy such as wind and solar, to keep up with the DOE’s goal of a renewable power generation mix of 35% by 2030.
Earlier this week, Panay Island was hit by a massive power outage due to a multiple tripping of power plants on the island.
The NGCP said it monitored the tripping of Panay Energy Development Corporation (PEDC) Unit 1 at 12:06 p.m. on Tuesday, January 2, due to an “internal issue.”
The PEDC Unit 2, Palm Concepcion Power Corporation (PCPC), and other plants then tripped at 2:19 p.m.
The Energy Regulatory Commission previously said that the power shortage was caused by the unplanned outages of a Panay sub-grid on Tuesday, January 2.
Earlier in the day, the NGCP said power supply in Panay Island remains unstable despite more than half of the island already being served by working power plants. — BM, GMA Integrated News