MANILA, Philippines—Senator Sherwin “Win” Gatchalian has called on the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to guarantee an uninterrupted power supply across the country on May 12, warning that any outages could undermine the integrity of the elections.

In a statement, Gatchalian, vice-chair of the Senate Committee on Energy, said that power interruptions could not only disrupt voters but also raise doubts about the credibility of the elections. 

“Aside from causing inconvenience to our voters, any power interruption could potentially compromise the credibility of our elections,” Gatchalian said.

The senator urged the DOE and ERC to coordinate with the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), distribution utilities, generation companies, and electric cooperatives to ensure a stable power supply on Election Day. 

He emphasized the need to avoid unscheduled plant maintenance and ensure that ancillary services are available to meet any increase in electricity demand.

“It is critical that all stakeholders do their part in ensuring uninterrupted electricity supply at polling stations to maintain transparency and security,” Gatchalian said.