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PRESIDENT Arroyo is ready to seek emergency powers from
Congress to address a possible water and power crisis if
the situation warrants it, Executive Secretary Eduardo
Ermita said on Wednesday.
Senators, including administration Sen. Joker Arroyo,
quickly shot down the idea, saying the President can
draw from her vast arsenal of powers to deal with any
contingency spawned by the long dry spell and power
interruptions.
Ermita
said in his weekly news briefing that at present,
concerned government agencies do not expect weather
conditions to worsen to the point of urging Congress to
grant the President emergency powers to deal with a
potential power and water crisis—but added that the
government is prepared to do so if warranted.
“As the
situation warrants, I’m very sure that there’s nothing
that would prevent us from asking Congress for emergency
powers. For the moment, our agencies under the National
Disaster Coordinating Council are quite optimistic that
we do not need it yet. In time, when there’s a need, a
move would have to be initiated by the Executive branch
to ask for such a power from Congress,” Ermita said.
That
day, the President assured Pangasinan farmers of the
speedy release of the P400-million budget for the
rehabilitation of the San Roque dam to improve their
irrigation system and help them better cope with the dry
spell being felt throughout Luzon.
The
President made the assurance during an informal
interaction with various farmers groups after
inaugurating the Carmen Rosales Central Transport
Terminal in Rosales, Pangasinan.
A Palace
statement said Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap, who was
with the President, said the fund release, which is part
of the government’s budget for irrigation, would help
mitigate the effects of the lack of rainfall on farm
lands in the province and provide alternative livelihood
to farmers.
“Farmers
affected by the drought will be employed as laborers to
help in the rehabilitation works to be conducted on the
dam,”
Yap said.
Senators, however, are not keen on giving Malacañang
special powers to address the looming energy crisis,
with administration and opposition lawmakers insisting
that existing laws and presidential prerogatives can
address the problem.
Senator
Arroyo asserted that the President already has vast
powers to deal with any emergency.
“I don’t
think it’s wise for Malacañang to ask Congress for
additional powers because they already have enough
powers to meet any contingency. What does she
[President] need special powers for? What will she say,
‘Water you rise?’”
Senate
Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. admitted that
opposition senators hesitate to endorse extra powers “in
the hands of a President whose words cannot be relied
upon.”
Pimentel
said both chambers of Congress would be ready to pass
laws if they are really needed, but would want to first
look at the details of the emergency measure being
pushed by Malacañang to deal with the worsening water
supply and energy crisis.
“They
may want special powers simply to remove bidding
restrictions to facilitate emergency purchases, that’s
why we would like to look at the details of the Palace
proposal,” Pimentel told reporters, recalling the
alleged misuse of emergency powers in previous
administrations. “We saw how such emergency powers were
used [sneak through] PPA contracts [a.k.a. power
purchase agreements] where electric consumers are being
made to pay more until now even for power they did not
consume,” Pimentel said. |
