House energy body seeks assurances of blackout-free polls in Mindanao

By NITZ ARANCON
Correspondent

THE House committee on energy yesterday called on the Department of Energy (DOE), National Power Corp.-Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. (Napocor-Psalm), and the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) to ensure that there would be no failure of elections in Mindanao this May because of the power crisis.

The committee also urged the police and military to provide security to NGCP crews fielded to repair transmission towers and lines.

A member of the committee, Rep. Rufus Rodriguez of the city’s 2nd District, said the House committee was confident that Mindanao’s power supply would be enough if the 260 mw “isolated” from the grid in December due to the bombing of NGCP’s Transmission Tower 25,  in Rama-in, Lanao del Sur, would be fixed.

Rodriguez was among the congressmen who took part in the public hearing of the House energy committee at the Mindanao University of Science and Technology (Must) gym yesterday morning.

Also attending the hearing were Rep. Reynaldo Ulami, committee chairman, other congressmen, Energy Secretary Zenaida Monsada, officials of the Napocor, NGCP, police and the military, among others.

Rodriguez said the committee was informed that the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has already directed the Armed Forces and the National Police to secure NGCP’s repairmen as they repair the toppled tower in Ramain, Lanao del Sur.

The tower has not been repaired since it was toppled in December because one family wouldn’t allow them in his property.

NGCP officials told the congressmen the landowner was demanding P186 million as payment from the NGCP.

“Mahal ra sad kaayo ang presyo, pero samtang gi-proseso pa ang bayad sa maong  yuta, i-repair lang una  ang natumba nga tower aron mabalik na sa grid  ang 260 mw nawala sa Mindanao,” said Rodriguez.

He said the committee sought assurances that Mindanao would be blackout-free during the May 9 elections because the votes of some 13 people in Mindanao were at stake.

Rodriguez said Mindanao voters comprise some 23 percent of the country’s voting population.

“Kining 13 million  votes sa Mindanao, equivalent kini sa 23 percent sa 54 million votes sa entry country. Maka-apikto na kini sa pag-pili sa presidente kon dunay failure of election sa Mindanao, kon mag-brownout,” Rodriguez said.