Muling hinikayat ni Camarines Sur Rep. Lray Villafuerte ang mga kasamahang mambabatas na isailalim sa review ang prangkisa ng National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) upang tukuyin kung panahon na bang bawiin na lang ito.
Kasunod ito ng nangyaring malawakang power outage sa Panay Island noong January 2 na tumagal ng tatlong araw.
Ayon kay Villafuerte ang patuloy na pagtanggi ng NGCP na akuin ang pananagutan sa insidente ay sapat nang dahilan para repasuhin ang prangkisa nito.
“With the NGCP’s arrogance and cavalier attitude in refusing to own up to the widespread power outage despite being the national electric transmission system manager, all of us consumers should brace for more of these power crises in the future as our concessionaire is not likely to take urgent corrective measures to prevent a repeat of the Jan. 2-5 blackout, considering that it sees itself as faultless on this latest fiasco,” sabi ni Villafuerte
Para sa mambabatas matitiyak lamang na hindi na mauulit ang ganitong kapabayaan kung sisilipin muli ang prangkisa ng NGCP.
“Modifying or cancelling its franchise seems the best course of action at this point, given that the NGCP has haughtily refused to accept responsibility for the three-day power cutoff even as President Marcos no less plus our energy regulators have directly blamed our sole transmission operator for the system collapse over its inaction during a two-hour window after the first of several power facilities tripped at about noon of Tuesday (Jan. 2),” diin ng mambabatas.
Una nang sinabi ng Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. sa isang video statement na ang NGCP ang may pananagutan sa naturang blackout, bagay na maaari aniyang napagilan kung umaksyon lamang ang ahensya at tinapos ang mga pryekto nito.
Tinukoy ni Energy Sec. Raphael Lotilla na maliban sa Panay-Negros-Cebu grid project, ay hindi pa natatapos ng NGCP ang Mindanao-Visayas Interconnection Project at Hermosa-San Jose transmission line.
Pinakokonsidera din ni Villafeurte ang suhestyon ng kalihim na aralin ang special tax privilege ng NGCP kung saan nagbabayad lamang ito ng 3% franchise tax at hindi na ng iba pang national at local taxes. | ulat ni Kathleen Forbes
