Tulfo to seek Senate probe on power outages in Oriental Mindoro, other provinces

Senator Idol Raffy Tulfo berated officials from the Oriental Mindoro Electric Cooperative (ORMECO) and Department of Energy (DOE) on his program "Wanted sa Radyo" following consumer complaints of unresolved decades-long power outages and unjustified high electricity cost in Oriental Mindoro.

Tulfo, Chairperson of the Committee on Energy, said he will file a Senate Resolution to investigate, in aid of legislation, the root cause of the electricity problem in the province and hold officials accountable for the people's suffering.

"Mahigit dalawang dekada na yang problema sa ORMECO. Ang lubos na nahihirapan diyan ay ang mga consumers - tulad ng mga taong nasisiraan ng appliances at mga estudyanteng nahihirapan mag-aral dahil walang ilaw. Ang pinakamalala pa sa sitwasyon na ito ay palagi na ngang brownout, mataas pa ang singil sa kuryente," he said.

"This is unacceptable! No amount of excuses will justify the negligence of ORMECO," he added.

The Cooperative in question is the lone power distributor in the province.

Tulfo further said: "Maaari siguro na ang problema ay tumagal lamang ng anim na buwan hanggang isang taon, pero yung abutin na ng higit dalawang dekada? Ibang usapan na iyon. Mayroon nang naging pabaya dito, at aalamin natin yan sa pamamagitan ng masusing imbestigasyon sa Senado. Ipapatawag natin hindi lamang ang miyembro ng ORMECO, kundi pati na din ang mga opisyales mula sa DOE at ERC."

In the Aug. 5 episode of "Wanted sa Radyo," Tulfo received a complaint from Bern Josep "Bekimon" Persia saying that consumers have been experiencing several brownouts in the province with some lasting for more than 12 hours regularly, and every single day the problems become worse.

Engr. Humphrey Dolor, Ormeco General Manager, cited the supposed issue on independent power supply as among the reasons for the persistent brownouts - an "excuse" which further enraged the Senator.

"Two decades ago, palagi na lang bang may problema sa independent power supplier? Heck no! Hindi dahilan yan. Hindi na problema ng consumers yan na nagbabayad ng kanilang bills nang tama. Dapat nabibigyan sila ng tamang kuryente," he said.

Tulfo also chided Dolor after Mario Marasigan, Director of Electric Power Industry Management Bureau, confirmed ORMECO's failure to follow the recommendations of DOE to solve the power outages in the province.

The Senator likewise stressed that the DOE has the mandate to help ensure that the electricity issues besetting the province will be solved.

"Nakakagalit ang ganitong kapabayaan dahil matapos sanang hindi masunod ang unang rekomendasyon ng DOE, na-sanctionan o naparusahan na dapat agad ang mga personalidad sa likod ng Ormeco. Bakit kailangang paaubitin pa sa final recommendation? Hindi na sana ganito karami ang nagdusang consumers kung una pa lamang ay naaksyunan na ito ng DOE at ibang concerned agencies," he said.

If they are unable to solve the issues, Tulfo ordered DOE officials to vacate their post.

"Do your job right or resign," Tulfo stressed.

The Energy Committee Chairperson maintained that his Senate investigation will not only tackle the problems in Mindoro, but will also cover all the electricity issues being faced by consumers in other provinces.

"Lahat po ng mga palaging brownout na mga lugar, meron na po kaming listahan. Lahat po iyan bibigyan namin ng solusyon. Lahat ng electric company na supplier ninyo ipapatawag po namin sa Senado," he said.

Other provinces that are experiencing years of frequent brownouts according to complaints received by Wanted Sa Radyo include, among others, Oriental Mindoro, Nueva Ecija, Northern Samar, Pampanga, San Jose, Nueva Ecija, Batangas, Negros, Quezon Province, Tabuk, Kalinga, South Cotabato, Maguindanao, Ozamis, Lumban, Laguna, San Isidro, Nueva Ecija, Zamboanga, Pangasinan, Tarlac, Marinduque, Camarines Norte, Echague, Isabel, Calaca, Zamboanga Sibugay, Masbate, Davao Oriental, Southern Leyte, Casiguran, Aurora and Bicol.