Senator Win Gatchalian has filed a resolution calling for a full-blown inquiry into the management standoff between Benguet Electric Cooperative Inc. (BENECO) and the National Electrification Administration (NEA).

There’s enough evidence that the decision rendered by the Department of Energy (DOE) to approve the sale of Chevron Malampaya’s 45% stake in the Malampaya gas project to the Udenna group of Dennis Uy is defective and invalid, Senator Win Gatchalian said.

As the government reviews the financial capacity of Udenna Corporation in acquiring the stake of Shell Philippines Exploration B.V. (SPEX) in the Malampaya gas field, the acquiring company’s financial capacity is put into question anew, Senator Win Gatchalian said, after Udenna’s subsidiary PH Resorts Group Holdings Inc. suspended its casino project in Clark due to debt and cash problems. 

In the wake of the spiraling increase in oil prices, Senator Win Gatchalian urged the government to reactivate the fuel subsidy Pantawid Pasada Program to provide relief to the public transport sector and cushion the impact of high fuel prices on the riding and consuming public.

Senator Win Gatchalian chastised energy officials for approving the sale of Chevron Malampaya’s 45% stake in the Malampaya gas field to Udenna Malampaya LLC amid their own admission that there was “insufficient foundation” of legal basis to do so.

Senator Win Gatchalian sounded the alarm over the possibility of the government entering into a midnight deal to extend the service contract of the Malampaya project with the gas field operator Shell Philippines Exploration B.V. (SPEX) finalizing the transfer of its participating interest to Udenna Corp.’s subsidiary Malampaya Energy XP Pte Ltd.

Senator Win Gatchalian expresses support for the Department of Energy’s (DOE) move in advancing the promotion and enhancement of the development of Waste-To-Energy (WTE) facilities in the country.

With a year left in the government’s self-imposed deadline to achieve total electrification of all households in the country, Senator Win Gatchalian said there’s still hope that it can still be realized once the bill which promotes the use of microgrid systems as a means to supply electric power in the rural areas is set in place.

Despite pronouncements that there will be no brownouts during the week of the May 2022 elections, Senator Win Gatchalian wants the Senate to conduct an inquiry on the plans and preparations of the Department of Energy (DOE) and other stakeholders to ensure the uninterrupted electricity supply.