Senate OKs 10-year extension of Power Commission

The Senate on Monday approved on third and final reading a joint resolution extending the period of existence of the Joint Congressional Power Commission (JCPC). Senate Joint Resolution No. 9 seeks to extend the existence of the JCPC for another 10 years to "ensure that the goals and objectives of the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) of 2001 and the Renewable Energy Act of 2008 are fully achieved." The JCPC, whose period of existence is set to end on June 26, sets the guidelines and overall framework to monitor and ensure the proper implementation of the EPIRA and the Renewable Energy Act. However, the Senate joint resolution says that "certain key structural changes" introduced in the EPIRA have yet to be carried out while there is still a "need" to oversee the implementaton of the Renewable Eenergy Act. Only Senators Juan Miguel Zubiri and Edgardo Angara voted against approving the Senate joint resolution. In a speech before the Senate plenary on Monday, Angara explained that Senate Joint Resolution No.9 is unconstitutitional and is an "encroachment on executive power." "The powers of the Power Commission given under Senate Joint Resolution No. 9 authorize the Powercom to perform functions of the executive branch. It does not merely act as an oversight committee," he said. Under Section 62 of the EPIRA, the JCPC shall be composed of 14 members with the heads of the energy committees of the Senate and the House of Representatives and six additional memers from each chamber designated by the Senate President and the House Speaker. Last week, the Senate committees on energy and public services recommended that the chamber approve without amendments Senate Bill 2846, which seeks to extend the implementation of the lifeline rate, which grants subsidy to marginalized power consumers, by another 10 years. — RSJ, GMA News