Emergency powers turn the power crisis into an environmental one

LAST Tuesday, the House Committee on Energy headed by Rep. Rey Umali lost its backbone and gave way to the wishes of the Executive to grant President Aquino emergency powers. House Joint Resolution 21 was passed with one negative vote to supposedly address a lack of power in 2015.

The decision was surprising since it appears that Sec. Jericho Petilla failed to present a convincing argument to support his doomsday scenario that there will be a massive shortage in power next year. The committee correctly removed Petilla’s request for 6-12 billion pesos to rent or to buy modular generating sets from the resolution.