Comelec to solve power interruptions in polls

THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) en banc has passed a resolution deputizing government energy corporations to provide and maintain stable and continuous nationwide electric power requirements to solve power interruptions this coming elections.

Comelec En Banc, in their resolution 9597, delegated the National Electrification Administration, the National Power Corporation, and the Local Electrification Cooperatives to supply the power requirements, which will be used in the voting and counting of votes and transmission.

This comes as good news to residents of some 27 towns in Abra who are facing threats of power cuts after the Abra Electric Cooperative remains hard-up in paying its arrears with AP Renewables Inc.

The resolution was approved by Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes and Commissioners Rene Sarmiento, Lucenito Tagle, Armando Velasco, Elias Yusoph, Christian Robert Lim and Maria Gracia Padaca last December 21 upon seeing the “imperative need to provide sufficient, uninterrupted electrical power supply during the critical days of the elections.”

The Comelec En Banc also authorized NEA, NPC and electric cooperatives to shut off other users of electric power such as industries and other large commercial establishments from May 13 to 20 to about 300 megawatts and to allocate these savings of electric power for distribution to strategic areas for use during the critical period of elections.

The agencies were also ordered to secure the voluntary load curtailment commitments from the industries and large establishments before exercising their powers of unilaterally cutting their power needs.

They should also give priority to the electrical power needs at the distribution and retrieval centers, voting and counting places at the precinct level and at the canvassing centers as well as adopt other measures as maybe necessary to accomplish the purposes of their deputation.

Earlier, Comelec regional director Julius Torres said they will do everything they can to ensure power supply is secured in all provinces to ensure the orderly conduct of the elections on May 13.