The Philippine Online Chronicles

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said she will not pursue a special session on the power crisis in Mindanao but did not elaborate on how government plans to resolve the crisis, reports the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

“Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes will take care of the details,” Arroyo said after attending a CAT graduation ceremony at San Sebastian College, Manila.

A Malacañang official announced the same details to reporters Monday but also did not elaborate further.

“If this [special session] is something that is not possible in any case, then we can do without it. What we cannot do is to simply ignore the problem and wish it would go away, or to finger-point and criticize. That’s not an option for us either," deputy presidential spokesman Gary Olivar said Monday, gmanews.tv reports.

Olivar said the decision was based on advice from Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and House Speaker Prospero Nograles, who said a quorum could not be mustered because lawmakers are busy campaigning for the May 10 polls. Arroyo will instead allow Secretary Reyes to handle the situation.

PGMA could “bypass” Congress

Senator Francis Escudero, alarmed at Arroyo’s remark, issued a statement that Arroyo could possibly bypass Congress on the matter. In a text message to the Inquirer, Escudero said, “If she does so, then that will make the contracts she entered into voidable.”

He warned possible suppliers of "the inherent illegality of such contracts.”

Other senators raised similar concerns Monday on Malacañang’s “aggressive legal interpretation” that would allow government to buy and sell electricity without authority from Congress, Businessmirror reports.

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