Malacañang on Friday affirmed it could live with the three-to-four- month limit being eyed by the House Energy Committee for the effectivity of the emergency authority sought by President Aquino to avert the anticipated 2015 power-supply crisis.
Palace Communications Secretary Herminio B. Coloma Jr. said Energy Secretary Jericho L. Petilla is looking to complete all the measures needed to manage the expected supply shortfall by July.
“We are looking at the end of July 2015 as the end date for the coverage of the authority,” Coloma quoted Petilla as saying in a text message on Friday.
Palace Deputy Spokesman Abigail Valte earlier in the day confirmed that Department of Energy (DOE) officials were still in talks with lawmakers on the duration of the anticipated electricity-supply crisis seen to trigger recurrent brownouts in the summer months next year.
“The [three-to-four-month] period provided by the House is subject to discussions with the Department of Energy as to how long the projected shortage in 2015 will last,” Valte said in a separate text message to the BusinessMirror.
Palace officials contacted for comment earlier said they need first to verify with DOE officials concerned, when asked if the government is able to solve the energy crisis within the limited period set by the House without seeking any extension of the emergency authority requested by Mr. Aquino from Congress.
Lawmakers from the Senate and the House of Representatives, however, went on recess on September 27 and would not be back to work to debate and approve the joint resolution granting President Aquino special authority to contract additional capacity to cover the supply shortage until Congress sessions resume on October 20.
Butch Fernandez