Energy looking into lawmaker’s call to invalidate IEMOP contract

By Alena Mae S. Flores – February 25, 2020 at 09:00 pm
from manilastandard.net

The Energy Department assured it will look into the call of a lawmaker to invalidate the contract between Philippine Electricity Market Corp. and Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines Inc.

“Transparency is good, and we welcome that. And based on that, we’re looking into it. As soon as I got all info from the two concerned bodies, I will make my decision,” Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said.

Cusi said he directed PEMC, the supervising body and IEMOP, the operator of the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market, to submit their position papers.

He said while IEMOP already submitted a report, PEMC asked for more time because its board had yet to meet.

Cusi also said the transfer of the operations of WESM from PEMC to IEMOP was carefully studied by a technical working group.

Puwersa ng Bayaning Atleta Party-list Rep. Jericho Nograles earlier urged Cusi to invalidate the contract between PEMC and IEMOP  because “it is void ab initio” or invalid from the beginning due to several legal infirmities.

“To be fair to Secretary Cusi, he has assured me that he is looking into the matter,” Nograles said, but stressed that Congress would continue its own investigation.