Tuesday, October 24, 2006 Controversial power sub-station energized By Erwin Ambo S. Delilan
NO amount of protests and probe can deter the controversial 30-megawatt power sub-station project of the Central Negros Electric Cooperative (Ceneco) in Alijis from being operational.
This as Ceneco officials, with the contractor PowerStar Inc., switched on the power station last night signaling its full energization and is now ready for power distribution.
Bacolod City was hit with several brownouts Monday though.
Originally, it would have been opened with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo switching the facility on.
However, Malacañang officials claimed that Arroyo could no longer make it to Bacolod because of her tight schedule.
"This is it! The project has now started to operate and this is for everyone especially the consumers in southern Bacolod," Ceneco President Ed Guillem said over a phone interview Monday afternoon.
Guillem is among the Ceneco officials investigated by the National Electrification Administration (NEA) for alleged corruption among other accusations.
He explained that although the NEA did not give the go signal for the Alijis project, it is still legitimate because the General Assembly, the highest policy-making body of Ceneco, gave the approval.
Guillem said the NEA has also previously approved the bidding with the same amount.
He added that the board has already filed their explanation-answers to NEA.
As for the Mabini project, which is also being questioned due to a deviation in the down payment, the Ceneco officials reportedly used "human consideration" when they gave the contractor a 50 percent down payment, alleging that the materials were delivered since two years ago.
"My conscience is clear. I never stole anything in this project," Guillem said.
Pedro Errasquin, PowerStar president, also denied the alleged irregularity in the project.
Guillem said if the project was not implemented sooner everyone will suffer from power overloading.
Presently, Ceneco has five power stations. One in Alijis, Mountain View Subdvision in Barangay Mandalagan, Sum-ag, Burgos and Reclamation area.
Each has a 30-megawatt capacity. Guillem said each station has about 95 percent daily load, which is "very risky because base on the normal loading from the National Transmission Commission (Transco), the daily loading should only be 75 percent."
He said the purpose of the two new sub-stations is to augment in the unloading of the five old stations before it worsens.
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