MANILA –A consumer group leader on Tuesday said power outages are violations of the law and government agencies tasked to regulate the energy supply should be held liable for failing to fulfill their mandate.
“Itong pong power outages o brownout, ito po ay labag sa batas,” National Association of Electricity Consumers for Reforms (NASECORE) president Pete Ilagan said in an interview with News TV.
According to Ilagan, the law ordered these agencies to ensure quality, reliable and secured supply of electricity.
“Kaya ang brownout po ay walang puwang, wala po ‘tong puwesto sa isang industriyang rinereporma ng batas,” Ilagan said.
Ilagan, a former undersecretary of the Department of Energy (DOE), said government energy regulators like the DOE should be held liable for the recent power outages.
“Dapat managot ang government regulators na siyang tumitingin sa pagpapatupad ng pagsiguradong wala tayong brownout,” he said.
“Sila mismo ang minamandatuhan na siguraduhing walang brownout,” Ilagan added.
The Luzon grid has been put under red and yellow alerts a number of times due to depleting power reserves resulting from outages of several power plants.
When the supply decreases, the price of electricity increases.
Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate committee on energy, earlier urged the DOE and the Philippine Competition Commission to investigate the possible collusion among power plants.
According to Ilagan, the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), who approved the power supply contract between power generation plants and distribution utilities like Meralco, should respond to this issue and investigate.
Ilagan also said the ERC should include a ‘replacement plant’ in power supply contracts who will serve as a substitute to failing power plants to avoid outages.
“Kapag nasa maintenance schedule ang planta sa kontrata, dapat may replacement plant. Sa kontrata na approved ng ERC, dapat sinasama ang replacement plant,” he said. (GMA News)
