Council urged to conduct own energy audit

Sunstar Davao

By Jereco O. Paloma

Sunday, May 8, 2011

AN ENVIRONMENT group on Friday asked the Davao City Council to initiate an energy audit that is free of bias.

Julan Suazo, of the Foundation for Philippine Environment, said the local lawmaking body must come up with its own investigation to determine if there is really a power shortage in Mindanao, instead of relying information from the AboitizPower Corporation and the Department of Energy (DOE).

Suazo hurled the challenge during the third and final public hearing on the proposed P25-billion coal-fired plant by the AboitizPower Corp.

Aboitiz claimed that Mindanao, specifically Davao City, is bound to suffer an energy crisis and that the only solution to the problem would be the coal plant.

But Suazo said Aboitiz failed to present facts that clearly state the exact power crisis in Mindanao.

Suazo said even if the third party researcher will reveal that there is actually a current and impending power crisis, this information will have some gray areas.

With this, Suazo asked the councilors to initiate the energy audit apart from the audit to be conducted by the DOE in order to avoid bias.

Suazo's suggestion, however, does not sit well with Davao City Councilor Melchor Quitain, who said that only the DOE has the power to conduct such audit.

But Suazo said they still have doubts with DOE's position on the matter, adding its report may be partial and unfair.

Aboitiz first vice president for Mindanao affairs Manuel Orig reiterated that there is an actual and impending power shortage in the region.

Orig also emphasized that the DOE is the one that should conduct energy audit as it is the agency mandated by law to do such audit.

"Makita jud namo na dili na makaya sa power supply ang power demand (It really shows the power supply cannot meet the demand)," Orig told the city councilors in last Friday's public hearing.

After the three public hearings conducted by four committees, a consolidated recommendation will be submitted to the council recommending or barring the establishment of the 300-megawatt coal-fired plant.

Efforts to get the comment of Councilor Pilar Braga, who chairs the committee of energy, transportation, and communication, proved futile.

Councilor Conrado Baluran, meanwhile, saw the necessity of having the audit put into place.

Published in the Sun.Star Davao newspaper on May 09, 2011.