Diocese files appeal on transfer of Ceneco hearing venue

DIOCESE of Bacolod representative Elinore Cabanilla filed a motion for reconsideration before the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to transfer the Central Negros Electric Cooperative (Ceneco) hearing venue to Bacolod City.

Cabanilla, Social Action Center (SAC) representative, stated in her motion for reconsideration dated September 27, 2012 that the order and notice of hearing issued by the commission on ERC 2012-003-CF concerning the application of Ceneco for approval of over or under recoveries in the implementation of automatic cost adjustments and true-up mechanisms and corresponding confirmation process, under ERC Resolution 16, Series of 2009, as amended by Resolution 21, Series of 2010 on March 26, was received by the SAC late Tuesday afternoon.

Cabanilla said SAC was surprised that the continuance of the hearing on the case held in Bacolod City on June 8, 2012 has been set today, Friday, at ERC's main office in Pasig City, Manila.

She said SAC believes that the initial hearing conducted at the Ceneco compound was not fully concluded, thus, continuance has been expected to return to the same venue.

It was, in fact, to reinforce this high level of expectation that a signature campaign among Ceneco consumers and diocesan parishioners spearheaded by Bishop Vicente Navarra of the Bacolod Diocese was waged by SAC on June 16 and 17, Cabanilla said.

Despite the brevity of the campaign period, the drive netted about 5,000 signatories, appealing to ERC to hold subsequent hearings on the case in Bacolod City and to deny Ceneco’s prayer for provisional authority to collect its computed under-recoveries (totaling P414.6 million), she said.

Cabanilla said that attending a hearing in Manila definitely entails substantial expense.

These financial constraints preclude the presence at such hearings by the affected consumers of Ceneco and by some oppositors or intervenors, including her, she added. (Carla N. Canet)