ENERGY EXECUTIVE: THERE'S ENOUGH POWER FOR MINDANAO POLLS
MANILA, FEBRUARY 23, 2010 (STAR) The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) yesterday assured the public that there would be enough power for the May 10 elections in Mindanao.NGCP vice president for systems operation Carlito Claudio said although there is a projected four-megawatt (MW) deficit on the island on election day, contingency measures would be put in place to avert any power outages.
“These are just estimates. If ever there would be forecast error or maybe this forecast would not happen, the National Power Corp. (Napocor) is ready to implement contingency measures,” Claudio said.
He said Napocor is planning to run the 30-MW Iligan diesel-fired power plant on election day to stabilize power supply in Mindanao.
Conal Holdings Corp. vice president for business development Joseph Nocos said the drop in water levels in hydro power plants could lead to even worst power situation in the region.
Conal is putting up a clean-coal power plant in Sarangani.
“The country’s weather station has said the country will experience a long dry spell during the summer, affecting the generating capacities of hydropower plants in Mindanao,” he said.
Based on the latest NGCP power update, the Visayas and Mindanao power grids will continue to have reserve deficits due to the limited supply from power generating plants.
Power system update
The NGCP, as the system operator, said the continuing generation deficiency in the Mindanao grid has compelled the system to limit the power load transmitted to grid customers from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. yesterday.
The deficiency is caused by reduced capabilities of hydro electric plants due to low elevation at water reservoirs (70 percent reduction in the available capabilities at Agus and Pulangi Plants); non-availability of Iligan diesel power plant (35 MW); and planned outage of power barge 117 Unit 2 (50 MW)
A total of 400 MW of power is expected to be curtailed in the Mindanao grid today.
Mindanao customers are advised to coordinate directly with distribution utilities or electric cooperatives in their area for the complete list of areas affected and the schedule of power interruptions.
Supply augmentation efforts
Power industry stakeholders in Mindanao have expressed confidence that power supply deficiency in the region would be addressed through the supply augmentation efforts being undertaken by the Department of Energy.
During the Joint Congressional Power Commission (Powercom) hearing at the Senate yesterday, Claudio noted that Mindanao now has a power deficit of 183 MW because of the dry spell brought about by El Niño.
Just like the earlier hearing conducted by the committee on energy of the House of Representatives, Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes was not present yesterday to the chagrin of legislators.
Other industry players such as the NGCP, Napocor and the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp (PSALM) were left to present the problems and solutions to the Mindanao power crisis.
Powercom co-chairman Sen. Gregorio Honasan said the government should also consider tapping the power barges just like the two in Mindanao acquired by Aboitiz Power.
Aboitiz Power’s assistant vice president Susan Policarpio said each power barge could produce 100 MW.
Global Business Power Corp. president Jesus Alcordo said four power barges have been left unused in Navotas, which could be tapped to augment the supply gap in Mindanao.
The barges are owned by East Asia Power Resources Corp. and its subsidiary, East Asia Diesel Power Corp.
All the power barges have shut down because of the owners’ inability to recover their operating cost.
Deputy presidential spokesperson Gary Olivar said Reyes would most likely be presenting his report to the President during today’s Cabinet meeting in Palawan.
Olivar gave assurance that the President intends to do everything she could to address the power crisis in Mindanao before she steps down from office on June 30.
“This is a crisis that has immediate implications and in fact she has already started addressing this by sending Secretary Reyes to Mindanao and by forming the El Niño task force,” Olivar said.
However, Olivar admitted that some of the solutions would have to be carried over to the next administration.
‘Senators unaware of power crisis’
Two Mindanao lawmakers criticized the seeming lack of knowledge of opposition senators on power outages in the region and the need for the granting of an emergency power to President Arroyo to address the crisis.
Reps. Rufus Rodriguez of Cagayan de Oro City and Abdulla Dimaporo of Lanao del Norte lamented that the senators who have rejected the proposal for an emergency power are “only opposing for the sake of opposing.”
Rodriguez, who belongs to the House opposition bloc, said senators have no right to question supposed motives behind the proposal “because they know nothing about what’s really happening in the south.”
“These senators are ignorant of what is actually happening in Mindanao. They are now opposing for the sake of opposing,” Rodriguez said, referring to the opposition on his proposal by Senators Benigno Aquino III and Joker Arroyo.
Rodriguez insisted the need for the President to be granted such power given the urgency of the situation.
Other administration lawmakers are behind the proposal for Congress to hold a special session for the purpose of granting Mrs. Arroyo emergency powers to resolve the Mindanao crisis.
“I support the move to grant President Arroyo emergency powers to solve the energy crisis and the energy need for the election automation,” said House Deputy Speaker for Mindanao Simeon Datumanong.
Citing previous reports, Datumanong said for this year alone, Mindanao might face a shortage of 440 MW of power supply, a compelling enough reason to provide the President with emergency powers to deal with the energy crisis there.
Datumanong said no less than Claudio disclosed before the House committee on energy that Mindanao might face a shortfall of four megawatts on election day. – Donnabelle Gatdula, Marvin Sy, Delon Porcalla
Private armed groups still increasing, says Verzosa By Artemio Dumlao (The Philippine Star) Updated February 23, 2010 12:00 AM
BAGUIO CITY , Philippines – Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Jesus Verzosa admitted here yesterday that partisan armed groups have been increasing and still pose a threat to honest and peaceful elections on May 10.
Verzosa said that in Abra the armed groups have increased from four to six.
He, however, refused to identify the politicians who are maintaining so-called private armies that the police have vowed to dismantle.
He explained that the increase in the number of private armies is a “good sign” that gives the PNP more opportunities to face the problem and dismantle them.
“Getting the exact picture is a positive sign,” Verzosa said.
He said that the latest validated report showed that the police have neutralized 10 private armies.
He said that with the exact list the PNP now has, the police could now solve the problem, concentrating on critical areas like Sulu, Masbate, Surigao, Basilan, Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao.
“There are positive developments in Abra, though it remains in the watch list,” Verzosa said.
He said the police conduct a monthly assessment to get the latest trends on private armies.
A recent intelligence report showed some former rebels and members of the Revolutionary Proletarian Army-Alex Boncayao Brigade (RPA-ABB) are moonlighting as members of private armies of politicians.
Cops dismantle Samar private army
Police in Samar are monitoring six remaining armed groups after one was neutralized after simultaneous raids in Calbayog City last Sunday.
Chief Superintendent Rey Lanada, director of the Eastern Visayas police, vowed to intensify their campaign against private armed groups to ensure peaceful and orderly elections.
“The concerted efforts of Special Task Groups and other operating units are gaining headway as manifested in the reduction of the number of private armies in Region 8. However, we must not be complacent with our gains as some unscrupulous politicians are bent on forming their own (armed groups),” said Lanada in his report to PNP headquarters.
Elements of the Gandara and Calbayog police stations obtained search warrants and conducted raids at barangays San Jose, Patong and Sinantan and killed in an alleged encounter Michael Terga, the leader of the armed unit of a local politician who is running for congressman in Samar.
Lanada said the raids were part of Operation Plan Alamid that was launched to neutralize the Terga group, one of seven private armies operating in Eastern Visayas.
Aside from the killing of Terga, the raiders also arrested 19 suspected members of the group and confiscated 41 assorted firearms and ammunition.
Police identified the arrested suspects as Liberato Logero, Wendel Terga, Jesus Jalayajay, Herminigildo Estoconing, Wilfredo Velasco, Geronimo Velasco, Antonio Ayawan, Marvin Velasco, Romulo Paghunasan, Jimmuel de Pablo, Elbito Fermino, Felipe Eyano, Restituto Sabilao, Jimmy Dealagdon, Leo Macabidang, Elmer Dealagdon, Merlito Eyano, Francisco Velasco, and Jonard Belino.
Superintendent Crizaldo Nieves, Eastern Visayas police intelligence chief, reported that the so-called Buhayo and Lugo armed groups have also been neutralized.
Nieves reported that there were at least 50 election-related violent incidents in Eastern Visayas in the past elections.
Mayor decries ‘hot spot’ tag
Alaminos City Mayor Hernani Braganza has decried the Comelec declaration of his town as an election hot spot.
He said his town has been peaceful to be placed under the immediate concern of Comelec and the PNP.
He said the recommendation of Alaminos as a poll hot spot by PNP regional director Senior Superintendent Percival Barba is baseless.
Braganza said the declaration has destroyed the image of Alaminos, a peaceful and orderly city.
“We have been enjoying tremendous influx of tourists for the past five years now, We might lose visitors this summer over the hot spot declaration of Comelec and the PNP,” he lamented.
Braganza appealed to Comelec to delist Alaminos, and slammed the PNP’s unjust recommendations.
He said such declaration would take away the freedom of the people.
“I am not a gambling lord, neither am I a drug lord. Alaminos is a tourist spot because of its infamous Hundred Islands National Park, and not a hot spot,” he said. “This is absolutely unfair to our constituents. Not even a single killing or election-related violence was reported here in the past 20 years of my public service.”
He urged PNP and the officials of Comelec to visit Alaminos to know the situation. – With Non Alquitran
Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
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