ERC to issue show cause order vs. SIPCOR —Palace

Malacañang said Friday that the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) would issue a show cause order against the Siquijor Island Power Cooperative (SIPCOR) amid the power crisis in Siquijor province.

During a press briefing, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro said the generator set that was sent by SIPCOR was supposedly not working properly. 

''Sa ngayon, ang pinadalang genset ng SIPCOR ay may problema rin. Hindi gumagana nang maayos kaya magiissue ng show cause order ang ERC sa SIPCOR,'' Castro said.

(At present, the genset sent by SIPCOR also has a problem. It's not working properly so the ERC will issue a show cause order against SIPCOR.) 

The provincial government of Siquijor, through its Sangguniang Panlalawigan, has declared a state of calamity due to the worsening power crisis.

President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. has directed an investigation into the operations of SIPCOR. He said the power provider should live up to its commitments in providing electric supply in the province. 

The President recently inspected the SIPCOR power plant in Siquijor to address the recurring power interruptions in the province and to ramp up actions to address the power supply deficiencies.

SIPCOR previously said it is currently implementing corrective measures to resolve the power supply challenges in the province of Siquijor.

In a separate statement, SIPCOR said that during the testing and commissioning of the second genset, a technical issue was identified involving the radiator motor, which required immediate replacement.

It said the replacement unit is currently en route to Siquijor via a chartered flight. The installation and energization of the new component are expected to be completed within the day.

''SIPCOR assures the public that we are taking all necessary measures to restore operations promptly and minimize service disruptions,'' SIPCOR said. —VAL/RSJ, GMA Integrated News