Malacañang said on Thursday that the impending power shortage will not affect the orderly conduct of automated elections next year as it has mobilized Department of Energy (DoE) to step up necessary measures once the energy situation arises.

Deputy presidential spokeswoman Lorelei Fajardo and Presidential economic spokesperson Gary Olivar said warning made that Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes that the country might face energy shortage in 2010 should serve as a “wake up call” to pursue and “accelerate” energy reforms that seek to promote capacity build out in generation and distribution.

They also called for better operational efficiencies, and greater investor participation especially from abroad to caution the looming power shortage by next year.

“All appropriate measures will be taken to ensure that power issues do not affect the orderly conduct of the country's first automated elections next year, which after all is part of the President's ten point agenda,” Olivar said in a statement.

Fajardo said they are awaiting the formal recommendation from Reyes to detail out the measures to be carried out by the government within eight months before May 2010 elections to address the problem.

Both officials said such warning was made at the time that Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) reforms had been unfolded and electrification is virtually 100 percent nationwide.

“We trust that Secretary Reyes is competent enough and it is his responsibility to take all the measures necessary, as I said, to avoid power shortages especially in the upcoming elections,” Fajardo said.