Joint congressional commission to review, decide on NGCP franchise—Tulfo

The Joint Congressional Energy Commission (JCEC) will convene to review and decide on the various proposals seeking to amend or revoke the franchise of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), Senator Raffy Tulfo said.

Tulfo, chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy, disclosed his plan to convene the JCEC in response to the recent massive power outage that hit the Western Visayas region, which includes the Panay Island.

Tulfo, one of the senators who is pushing for the revocation of NGCP’s franchise, noted that the agency’s failure to maintain the stability of the grid led to the power outage.

“Dapat talaga tanggalan ng prangkisa itong NGCP nang sa gayon hindi na makapangperwisyo (NGCP’s franchise should really be revoked this time so that these inconveniences should stop) and that’s exactly the direction we’re going to,” Tulfo said during the Senate recent hearing on the issue, last January 10.

“And I’m asking the support of my colleagues here sa Senate and even sa Congress, to remove it),” he said.

During the Senate hearing, Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas, Gov. Arthur Defensor and Guimaras Gov. Joaquin Nava lamented how critical establishments in their province were affected due to blackouts, saying billions of pesos were lost in their economy due to NGCP’s lapses.

Tulfo pointed out that among the glaring lapses NGCP committed was its absence of timely information dissemination to government agencies as per policy or regulations and its failure to communicate with immediate stakeholders such as electric utilities.

Senator Grace Poe, chairperson of the Senate Coming on Public Services, also saw the need for a thorough performance review of NGCP.

Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go also called for accountability and called on authorities to address the root causes of the power outage, noting the impact of the power failure on local communities, businesses, and essential services.

Go said he strongly supports President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive for a thorough investigation by concerned agencies particularly the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC).

“Someone should be responsible for this. And we agree with the order of President Bongbong Marcos that the ERC look carefully, this is their job, and to check who is accountable,” Go said.

Go, who chairs the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, lamented that the power outage had a negative impact on hospital operations in Western Visayas.

“The lives of Filipinos are at stake here. And the school that when there is a delay, the classes are halted. We are concerned also of the possibility that many businesses will close and eventually affect the livelihood of the people there,” Go said. — Hannah Torregoza