Power red alert

Last week, tripping that lasted less than a minute knocked out power at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport’s Terminal 3. With all 10 standby generators failing to work, the blackout lasted five hours, forcing the cancelation of 78 domestic flights.

The other day the power grid in Luzon including Metro Manila was placed on red alert for two hours, denoting an extreme supply deficiency. Visayas was placed on similar alert amid the drought induced by El Niño – one of the worst to hit the country.

In Mindanao, where residents have been suffering from blackouts lasting up to eight hours daily, the red alert remained in place yesterday. The power situation in Mindanao has been aggravated by the slow repairs on power transmission towers that were bombed in recent months. Failure to settle right-of-way issues has prevented the speedy repair of the towers.

The red alert and blackouts have renewed concerns about the power supply on election day. The Commission on Elections has assured the public that there are enough standby power sources for each voting machine. The failure of the NAIA-3 generators to work when needed, however, has not inspired confidence in the reliability of standby power sources on May 9.

Palace officials said they wanted to ensure steady power supply a week before and after election day. The administration must coordinate efforts to ensure that this objective is achieved. Any problem in the energy supply that endangers the smooth conduct of the elections will be blamed on the administration, even if players from the private sector plus the Comelec are involved.

With less than three months left, the administration that espouses the straight path or

tuwid na daan can aim to attain one final legacy: to do its utmost in ensuring the credibility of the general elections. A reliable power supply is crucial in realizing this objective.