MALACAÑANG expects the members of the Senate and the House of Representatives to pass the final version of Joint Resolution 21 granting President Aquino special authority to address an anticipated 2015 power-supply crisis before the lawmakers go on Christmas vacation next month.
Communications Secretary Herminio B. Coloma Jr. said on Sunday the Palace is hoping that the approval of the emergency measure will still be fast-tracked by senators and congressmen, even as the authority originally requested by the Office of the President was reported to have been “watered down.”
“Umaasa po tayo na mamadaliin ’yung pagpasa nito dahil pagkatapos po na maipasa sa House of Representatives, kailangan din ’yung katuwang na bersyon mula sa Senado para maging ganap ’yung joint congressional resolution,” Coloma said in an interview over government radio station.
President Aquino earlier invoked Section 71 of the Electric Power Industry Reform Act, which allows the Executive to seek special authority from Congress to contract additional capacity “upon determination of an imminent shortage of power supply.”
After conducting House hearings, the congressmen, however, opted to approve its own “watered-down
version” of the power resolution doing away with the energy department’s proposal to rent expensive modular generators, endorsing instead a so-called Interruptible Load Program that will tap private-owned generation sets to cut the supply shortage expected to hit Luzon in early 2015.
Coloma added that Malacañang is hopeful the Senate leadership will frontload deliberations on the Senate counterpart measure leading to early voting on the final version of Joint Resolution 21, as sessions would be adjourned by December 19 for the annual Christmas recess.
“At umaasa po tayo na mabubuo po ito sa lalong madaling panahon para sa kapakinabangan ng bansa dahil kailangan po ng panahon para paghandaan ’yung inaasahang kakulangan sa power reserves sa darating na tag-init sa taong 2015,” Coloma said.