OPENING STATEMENT OF SENATOR RISA HONTIVEROS
Committee on Energy Hearing

Bago pa po mag-pandemya noong 2020, nakapaghearing na tayo tungkol sa mga isyung ito. Ngayong 2021, parehong tugtugin na naman. Same issue. Same players. Nakakaumay na po, Mr. Chair.

Paulit-ulit nating sinasabi na ang kuryente ay higit pa sa isang negosyo. Mataas ang ating expectations sa ating mga system operators, sa mga kasama natin ngayong umaga, dahil ang tungkulin dito ay hindi lang basta-basta pang-negosyante.

Inaasahang ang sinumang system operator ay may tapat na interes para sa Pilipinas at may pagkiling para serbisyohan ang mga ordinaryong konsyumer.

Pero sa kalakaran ngayon, halos walang magawa ang Department of Energy, mawalang galang lang po, kundi humingi ng compliance from a seemingly more powerful firm.

There's the anomalous and exorbitant weighted average cost of capital. Limang taon na tayong tinataga sa pasentimo-sentimong singil nito. The Energy Regulatory Commission, with due all respect, had been remiss in lowering the charge for WACC to fair and realistic levels since 2015. Please, ERC, get your shop in order.

Naghigpit ng ang sinturon ng lahat, lalo na ngayong pandemya. At imbes na makatulong, lalo pa raw tayong pahihirapan ng NGCP pagdating sa pagdukot sa ating mga bulsa.

Hiwalay pa diyan itong nakakabahalang threat to national security. NGCP, a supposedly private company, is partly owned by the State Grid Corporation of China and has been blatantly disregarding the Philippine government policies and standards.

Kaya, Mr. Chair, isinusulong kong maibalik ang pamamahala ng ating main power grid system sa gobyerno. Because taking back control of our main power grid system requires a system of strict oversight by the state.

The individuals to take charge and become system operators should have a proven track record of integrity, competence, and experience in running a complex system operation securely and efficiently, the end goal of which is to deliver reliable, stable and affordable electricity to all Filipinos.

So this is a message to DOE, NGCP, ERC, and all system operators: whether they are in the public or private spheres, corruption is not and should not be tolerated.