Accountability sought in Panay blackout

The provincial government of Iloilo is seeking accountability over the regionwide power outage in Western Visayas that crippled the islands of Panay and Guimaras as well as some areas of Negros after the New Year.

-  BELLA CARIASO

Iloilo Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. yesterday said the province is planning to file cases against those responsible for the blackouts.

“We will examine our laws, because there is always a way of extracting accountability, especially because we are talking here of a public utility. Public utility is different from ordinary corporations. We will pursue that. The damage to the province is huge, to the households, the lost opportunities and the businesses of our fellow citizens,” Defensor said.

He said the agenda of an emergency meeting held on Jan. 4 focused on the power crisis and the directives issued by President Marcos in 2023 concerning the power sector.

The meeting was attended by officials of the Department of Energy (DOE), National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP), power sector and local executives.