Camille Naredo

Energy Usec. Sharon Garin attends the Finance Subcommittee E's public hearing on the proposed 2024 budgets of government owned- and controlled corporations (GOCCs), namely National Power Corporation, Philippine National Oil Company, and the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corporation on September 22, 2023. Joseph Vidal, Senate PRIB handout/File

Energy Usec. Sharon Garin attends the Finance Subcommittee E's public hearing on the proposed 2024 budgets of government owned- and controlled corporations (GOCCs), namely National Power Corporation, Philippine National Oil Company, and the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corporation on September 22, 2023. During the hearing, Garin, a former lawmaker, called for the establishment of a national policy on the condonation of debts of electric cooperatives. Joseph Vidal, Senate PRIB handout

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SENATE

Job Manahan

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/177434539306220230922_garin-sharon-senate-PRIB-1.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Energy Usec. Sharon Garin attends the Finance Subcommittee E&#x27;s public hearing on the proposed 2024 budgets of government owned- and controlled corporations (GOCCs), namely National Power Corporation, Philippine National Oil Company, and the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corporation on September 22, 2023. Joseph Vidal, Senate PRIB handout/File" width="960"/>Energy Usec. Sharon Garin attends the Finance Subcommittee E&#x27;s public hearing on the proposed 2024 budgets of government owned- and controlled corporations (GOCCs), namely National Power Corporation, Philippine National Oil Company, and the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corporation on September 22, 2023. Joseph Vidal, Senate PRIB handout/File</div>MANILA -- Senator Loren Legarda on Tuesday grilled Energy Secretary Sharon Garin for her agency&#x27;s action plan as the Philippines feels the impact of the ongoing Middle East conflict, describing the circumstance now as a &quot;crisis.&quot; During the Senate Proactive Response and Oversight for Timely and Effective Crisis Strategy (Protect) committee hearing, Senator Win Gatchalian, its chairperson, asked Garin what would be the worst case scenario and the Department of Energy&#x27;s (DOE) contingency plan should oil supplies run out and the conflict escalates.  Garin told senators, &quot;the worst case is we run dry, the country runs dry.&quot;&quot;Ang good news diyan, we have about a month and a half to prepare for this. So ang contingency – that is why we are looking for other suppliers. We have to talk to the countries where we haven&#x27;t talked to before para sila ang mag-supply,&quot; the energy chief said. She added that they are already talking to the United States and India on this matter and would work on this &quot;in the next two weeks.&quot; Senator Loren Legarda – who criticized Garin&#x27;s absence at the first part of the hearing – circled back to this statement, and pushed the energy secretary to respond to questions regarding their contingency and preparations. <div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/3/24/senators-fume-at-absent-energy-chief-score-admin-for-alleged-lack-of-urgency-plans-1608">READ: Senators fume at absent energy chief, score admin for alleged lack of urgency, plans</a></div>This is needed, she said, so government agencies could prepare for other scenarios related to the Middle East conflict. &quot;Sinabi ng DOE we can actually run dry, tagtuyot– mauubusan. Ilan na lang. Pakipaliwanag anong ibig sabihin, &#x27;the worst case is that our country runs dry.&#x27; Pakipaliwanag ang tagtuyot sa sambayanang Pilipino para kami maintindihgan namin ang paghahandang dapat gawin,&quot; Legarda told Garin. &quot;Kung ganyan ang sinasabi ng DOE, hindi pa ba yan krisis? Ayaw pa ba talagang yugyugin ang utak ng mga tao sa gobyerno para tanggapin na tayo ay nasa krisis at sinasabi na we will run dry. Pakipaliwanag po,&quot; the senator added. Garin, for her part, said this means &quot;we run out of fuel and gasoline and diesel.&quot; In the middle of her explanation, Legarda cut her, and said the secretary only provided the direct translation and not an explanation of what she meant. &quot;English yung sinabi niyo. Sinalita niyo yung translated sa Filipino. Ibig kong sabihin is paliwanag, hindi explanation. What I want DOE to say is the implications. What does running dry mean in terms of the farming, fisherfolk, and the jeepney driver? What are the implications insofar as agriculture, the transport sector, insofar as what are your action plans?&quot; Legarda fumed. Garin then detailed its impact on electricity and fuel, which she said could affect gas stations, islands&#x27; power supply, and greatly impact the transport sector. &quot;PNOC, a government corporation, is looking for alternative routes other than those in Middle East. Yun ang isang intervention namin. We are willing to buy as long as there is enough supply in the Philippines. Sine-secure ang supply. That&#x27;s our first and main objective,&quot; said the energy chief. But Legarda was not convinced and reverted to Garin&#x27;s statement about the possibility of the Philippines &quot;running dry&quot; of fuel, emphasizing that government agencies have only given &quot;motherhood statements&quot; on what they would do should this happen. &quot;Ang gusto kong marinig sana: impact if we run dry.  Transport stops. Ano ngayon ang action plan, DOTr?... I don&#x27;t think they are prepared for that. Perhaps in the second hearing, they can be more prepared and not come late,&quot; said Legarda.

Senator Loren Legarda on Tuesday grilled Energy Secretary Sharon Garin for her agency's action plan as the Philippines feels the impact of the ongoing Middle East conflict, describing the circumstance now as a "crisis."

Senator Loren Legarda on Tuesday grilled Energy Secretary Sharon Garin for her agency's action plan as the Philippines feels the impact of the ongoing Middle East conflict, describing the circumstance now as a "crisis."

Legarda grills Garin on DOE's action plan amid Middle East conflict

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Legarda grills Garin on DOE's action plan amid Middle East conflict

Job Manahan,

ABS-CBN News

Published March 24, 2026 05:44 PM PHT

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Updated March 24, 2026 06:03 PM PHT

Read More:

Senate

Middle East crisis

Department of Energy

Loren Legarda

Sharon Garin

war

conflict

fuel prices

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