Press Release
September 16, 2014

TRANSCRIPT OF AMBUSH INTERVIEW OF SEN. SERGE OSMEÑA

On EMERGENCY POWERS to address 2015 Power Crisis

Q: Sir, can you meet the deadline mentioned by Secretary Petilla (on the approval of the Joint Resolution)

Serge: Well, sorry... alam niyo, Serge Osmena has been telling them since 2011, 'Watch out for a shortage of power in the coming years.' Hindi naman nila ako pinansin. Tapos, as late as May 26 or 27, sinabi ni Sec. Petilla, 'Don't believe Sen. Osmena. We will not have any brownouts in 2015.' Pagkatapos 1 month later (or 2 months) later, emergency, we have a crisis! Sabi ko, ano ba naman ito. Matagal ko ng sinasabi ito...

So now, inupuan ng Presidente ng 1 ½ months, nagpadala ng sulat kahapon, gusto niya by the end this month?! No sir! I have to protect the Filipino people. Hindi naman basta-basta na magbibigay kami ng power, ng emergency powers. Alam naman natin ang nangyari nung 1992, hindi ba? So, we have to be very careful about what type of powers we will extend to them. Number 2, we want to make sure that the people know what the price will be. And I am expecting the price will be as high as P15/kwh, baka umabot pa ng P20/kwh. So, gusto ko malaman sang-ayon ba sila dun.

Q: Sa sulat, hindi nakalagay sa request kung anong klaseng powers?

Serge: Hindi. Ang sabi lang ng Presidente, we have a shortage, we're asking you for additional powers to add additional capacity. In other words, kung makakabili ang gobyerno, kasi pinag-bawalan iyan under the EPIRA law. Iyon lang ang hiningi.

Q: Ano lang po ang pwedeng ibigay na power?

Serge: Maraming klase iyan. You know, the electric power industry is a very complex industry. But there are many ways to solve the problem. For me to explain this is gonna be impossible for such a short period of time. But your committee will definitely look for many other ways to help resolve this problem.

Q: Can you give us some options that you are looking at? Baka pwedeng hindi na bigyan ng Emergency Powers?

Serge: ILP. And we also want them to install a very strong demand management program. In other words, hanggang ngayon, siguro 10 years ko ng sinasabi ito: You have to teach people how to save electricity, because this lessens our consumption. Makaka-save tayo ng pera and it lessens the over-all consumption of our country. Ang nakita ko nung na-exile ako sa Amerika, nagkaroon ng oil crisis nung nagkaroon ng giyera sa Iraq at Iran. And America had to put everybody under rationing. Nakita kung ano ang ginawa nila, and ganda! And everybody were cooperating! So, the consumption of America of foreign oil went down. Iyan ang target nila eh, kasi ang laki ng imports nila ng oil eh. Everything from gasoline consumption, lowering the miles per gallon in the car, to lowering your thermostat during winter and raising it during summer, cheaper lights. Talagang nag-cooperate ang mga Amerikano. Dito rin, basta na-educate mo lang ang Filipinos, 'ah ganun lang pala,' pwede din. Gaya sa America, for example, lahat ng white goods sabi nila you have to put the consumption, the electrical consumption, sa mga ref, sa TV sets, mga ganun. ang laki ng stickers saying so many kilowatts per consumption. So, aside from the price, people were comparing the consumption of electricity. Bumibili sila ng appliances that have lower consumption of electricity even though it was a little bit higher in price.

Q: Enough ba iyan?

Serge: This is a long-term proposition: we have to lower our over-all demand. We have teach people how to turn off the lights. How to turn off their TV sets, how to turn off their karaokes. Makakatulong po lahat iyon.

Q: Iyong request po, what is a realistic timetable?

Serge: I don't know yet. Until I get all of the assumptions in our first hearing, which will probably be a week from tomorrow, I don't know.

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