Junk franchises of inept power producers and distributors. Oust electric cooperative mis-managers. De-monopolize areas of operation.
More and more lawmakers and local officials want those done fast. Constituents are fed up, they say. Despite lower demand post-summer, customers suffer hours-long blackouts, steep rates, and poor service.
Leading the charge are Rep. Faustino Dy V (Isabela, 6th district), House Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan (4Ps party), and Deputy Minority Leader Mujiv Hataman (Basilan).
Also Davao del Norte Gov. Edwin Jubahib, Bohol Gov. Aris Aumentado, Bacolod City Mayor Alfredo Benitez, and Nasugbu, Batangas Mayor Tony Barcelon.
“Stop abuses by electric cooperative officers,” Dy declaimed Aug. 8. “Stop their policies that bankrupt ECs and distress our people.”
Dy zeroed in on Isabela Electric Cooperative-1. Quoting the assistant general manager’s report to members, he said Iselco-1 collected P130 million in “service fees” for late payments – without Energy Regulatory Commission consent.
ERC must make Iselco-1 refund customers the P130 million, Dy replied to interpellating Rep. Ramon Gutierrez (1-Rider party).
ERC in Oct. 2022 halted the unauthorized charges. Iselco-1 in turn suspended mortuary, financial, livelihood, and educational assistance to member-consumer-owners.
Iselco-1 paid P2 million monthly for three years for an info-tech firm’s unrendered services, Dy alleged. Another contractor is unable to deliver paid supplies and services.
Iselco-1 had P740 million uncollected consumer account receivables, Dy added. Plus, P69 million receivables were unaccounted for. “If EC funds were not misused, customers would’ve received good service and Isabela 100 percent electrified.”
“Don’t let this happen in the 151 other ECs and distribution utilities,” Dy appealed to National Electrification Administrator Antonio Mariano Almeda.
Iselco-1 employees’ monthly salaries have been deducted P100-P500 for four years now without their consent, Dy said. Those supposedly went to a foundation of the Philippine Rural Electric Cooperatives Associations.
Dy blamed politics. Philreca is affiliated with a party of the same name, led by Rep. Presley de Jesus, Iselco-1 ex-president and director.
In 2019 Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission chairman Greco Belgica accused the party of exacting election campaign contributions from ECs. Then-NEA chief Edgardo Masongsong allowed EC boards to pass resolutions for the contributions, Belgica said.
De Jesus chairs the House Committee on Cooperative Development and co-chairs the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee on Cooperatives. He is vice-chairman of the House Committees on Energy and on Disaster Management and a member of the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee on Energy.
Isabela is part of the Cagayan Valley Region, which has among the highest electricity rates in Luzon. Eastern Samar, from which Libanan hails, is part of the Eastern Visayas Region, also among the highest.
Libanan has filed a resolution to investigate his province’s power crisis. He laments frequent outages and stiff rates of Eastern Samar Electric Cooperative Inc.
Basilan Electric Cooperative owes Petron P1.2 billion for fuel, Hataman stated in another resolution. Basilan-island province suffers blackouts five to seven times daily.
Governor Jubahib accuses Northern Davao Electric Cooperative Inc. of negligence. Replace it with Davao Light and Power Co., he says.
Bohol province owns 30 percent of Bohol Light Co. Inc. Governor Aumentado wants it to grant more shares, lower rates, prioritize renewable energy, and untangle “spaghetti wires” – or be replaced.
Mayor Benitez wants Central Negros Electric Cooperative Inc. to tie up with Prime Electric Holding Inc., a subsidiary of Iloilo City’s More Power. That’ll improve Ceneco services and lessen charges, he says.
Mayor Barcelon wants Batangas Electric Cooperative I to leave. Relaying constituents’ wishes to ERC and NEA, he invites Meralco to take over.
“How can livelihoods and commerce thrive with spotty electricity?” Rep. Zaldy Co (Ako Bicol) told Gotcha. “Agriculture can’t modernize, businesses can’t run, foreigners won’t invest.”
As chairman of the powerful Committee on Appropriations, Co says he’ll check the Energy Department’s power development plans for 2024. Co used to construct power facilities. He built for Antique province one of the country’s best, a combination of river hydro-diesel-solar plants.
Last April, Mindoro Occidental declared a state of calamity. Vice Gov. Diana Tayag deemed 20-hour-long daily blackouts a disaster.
Occidental Mindoro Consolidated Power Corp. could provide only seven of the needed 30 megawatts a day. It blamed delayed subsidies from National Power Corp., paralyzed by surging fuel prices. Occidental Mindoro Electric Cooperative had nothing to distribute.
Jarius Bondoc is an award-winning Filipino journalist and author based in Manila. He writes opinion pieces for The Philippine Star and Pilipino Star Ngayon and hosts a radio program on DWIZ 882 every Saturday. Catch Sapol radio show, Saturdays, 8 to 10 a.m., DWIZ (882-AM).
The views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial stance of LICAS News.
