[ REPUBLIC ACT NO. 11571, July 06, 2021 ]

AN ACT ENHANCING THE POWERS AND FUNCTIONS OF THE JOINT CONGRESSIONAL ENERGY COMMISSION, FURTHER AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE SECTION 62 OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9136, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE "ELECTRIC POWER INDUSTRY REFORM ACT OF 2001", AS AMENDED

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be referred to as the "JCEC Enhancement Act".

SEC. 2. Term of the Joint Congressional Energy Commission. - Section 62 of Republic Act No. 9136, otherwise known as the "Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001", as amended, is hereby further amended to read as follows:

"SEC. 62. Joint Congressional Energy Commission. -

"x x x

"The Energy Commission shall adopt its internal rules of procedures; conduct hearings and receive testimonies, reports and technical advice; invite or summon by subpoena ad testificandum any public official, private citizen or any other person to testify before it, or require any person by subpoena duces tecum to produce before it such records, reports, documents or other materials as it may require; and generally require all the powers necessary to attain the purposes for which it is created. The Energy Commission shall be assisted by a secretariat to be composed of personnel who may be seconded from the Senate and the House of Representatives and may retain consultants. The secretariat shall be headed by an executive director who has sufficient background and competence on the policies and issued relating to electricity industry reforms as provided in this Act. To carry out its powers and functions, the initial sum of Twenty-five million pesos (P25,000,000.000) shall be charged against the current appropriations of the Senate. Thereafter, such amount necessary for its continued operation shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act."

SEC. 3. Jurisdiction of the Joint Congressional Energy Commission. - The Joint Congressional Energy Commission shall exercise oversight functions in the implementation of all existing energy laws at the time of the effectivity of this Act such as, but not limited to, Presidential Decree No. 87, otherwise known as "The Oil Exploration and Development Act of 1972", Presidential Decree No. 972, otherwise known as "The Coal Development Act of 1976", and Republic Act No. 8479, otherwise known as the "Downstream Oil Industry Deregulation Act of 1998", except Republic Act No. 9367, otherwise known as the "Biofuels Act of 2006".

SEC. 4. Separability Clause. - Any portion or provision of this Act which may be declared unconstitutional or invalid shall not have the effect of nullifying other portions or provisions hereof.

SEC. 5. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, orders, rules, and regulations or parts thereof inconsistent with any of the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed , amended, or modified accordingly.

SEC. 6. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the Official Gazette or in one (1) newspaper of general circulation. 

Approved,

This Act was passed by the Senate of the Philippines as Senate Bill No. 2220 on May 31, 2021 and adopted by the House of Representatives as an amendment to House Bill No. 9487 on June 1, 2021.

Approved: JUL 06 2021

(SGD.) RODRIGO ROA DUTERTE
               President of the Philippines   

Source: Supreme Court E-Library