The Senate Committee on Public Services is ready to look into the legislative franchise of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) to see if it is “keeping up with its obligations.”

This, after senators have started filing resolutions seeking to investigate, in aid of legislation, the recent power outage occurred in some parts of Western Visayas.

Senator Grace Poe, who chairs the panel, noted that a review of the NGCP franchise is within the powers of Congress to determine whether it “should shape up or ship out.”

“Our Senate committee on public services is always geared up to conduct a review,” Poe said in her statement.

“For a franchise as critical as the operation and management of power transmission lines, there should be no room for inefficiency, mismanagement or blunders,” she added.

Poe said the recurring blackout in the Panay Island showed something needs fixing to ensure uninterrupted delivery of cheap, stable and accessible electricity.

The Energy Regulatory Commission recently announced that the power situation in Panay Island had returned to normal while the Department of Energy agreed that the NGCP’s legislative franchise needs to be reviewed. (PNA) 

Photo credit: Facebook/NGCPph