Consumer welfare group Kuryente.org wants the Department of Energy (DOE) to present to Filipinos its concrete plan to ensure stable electricity supply during the elections.
Kuryente.org has called on the DOE, National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), National Electrification Administration (NEA), power distributors, electric cooperatives, and power generators to work together towards a clean, honest, and orderly elections by ensuring that there will be no brownouts.
An estimated 65.7 million Filipinos will cast their votes in what could be the most crucial elections in Philippine history.
“Incidents of unreliable electricity supply and power outages will undermine the integrity and sanctity of the election process. We live in a democracy, and we believe in the sanctity of the Filipino vote. We have the right and responsibility to elect leaders who will pull us upward towards economic recovery,” said Nic Satur Jr., national coordinator of Kuryente.org.
Kuryente.org expressed grave concern over the lack of energy reserves during the elections.
“For months now, we have been calling on the DOE and other energy stakeholders to address the issue of thin energy supply during the summer months, since we are anticipating the elections,” he said.
Satur said the risk of having power interruptions when Filipinos are casting their votes through electronic voting machines and during data transmission for canvassing is something alarming.
“Nationwide brownouts causing voting delays and questionable results, as well as political groups taking advantage of the issue are common scenarios in the Philippines…We are at a turning point in our history, let us write a better story for the next generation,” Satur said.