Power advocates: Peco’s opposition misleading
Posted by Michille on June 16th, 2006
Power advocates: Peco’s opposition misleading – Sun.Star Iloilo!
LAWYER Romeo P. Gerochi of the Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC) Iloilo manifested to intervene before the hearing officer of the Energy Regulatory Commission in relation to the petition of the Iloilo Provincial Government to connect directly to the National Power Corporation through its Negros-Panay grid.
Members of FDC-Iloilo were present in the preliminary hearing held at the New Iloilo Provincial Capitol Conference Room in June 15, 2006. According to Gerochi, chairperson of FDC, “we are amenable in the move of the Iloilo Provincial Government that they connect to the NPC grid where electricity rates are relatively cheap compared to Panay Electric Company.”
“We support this move with the perspective that it will entail savings in electricity expenses of the Provincial Government. In effect, it does not put taxpayers money to waste,” said Gerochi.
The advocacy group scored that the move of the Provincial Government only exposed the growing mistrust of the Ilonggo consumers on the capacity of Peco to service its franchise area with uninterrupted electricity all day.
The sole distribution utility filed their opposition to the petition of the Provincial Government citing that “availability of NPC’s supply is selective and suspect and that Peco’s rates are reasonable and its supply is more reliable than that of NPC.”
“Misleading,” retorted Ted Aldwin Ong, deputy secretary-general of FDC, on Peco’s opposition.
In the public pronouncements of their spokesperson in the Mayor’s Office, Iloilo City is short of 3-mw power supply so Mayor Jerry Trenas pushed for the transfer of Power Barge 101.
On the other hand, Peco is claiming it has more reliable supply than that of NPC so they are opposing IPG’s petition.
Furthermore, Ong stressed, “it’s clear that both Peco and the City Mayor has contradictory claims on this issue making them unreliable sources of facts.
Also, Peco’s opposition only shows that they are intoxicated with their monopolistic practice claiming that they have reasonable rates as compared to NPC.
What is reasonable in the P6.41 per kilowatt-hour in generation charge as compared to NPC’s P4.36 per kilowatt-hour that includes Transco’s wheeling charge of P1.00 already?”
Peco is desperate to hold on to their consumers for electricity intensive industries are beginning to break away from its franchise area starting with Foremost Milling Company and now the Iloilo Provincial Government, said FDC in a statement.
An owner of a business establishment near the Provincial Capitol, who requested anonymity, approached FDC and expressed his sentiments against Peco saying, “Despite my being friends with the Cachos, I would like to run away from Iloilo with the rates and the quality of service of Peco – their monopoly must end,” shared FDC.
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