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Wednesday, June 04, 2003
Sonny solicits complaints of Veco consumers
By Karen M. Flores
IN HIS fight against both a possible power crisis in Metro Cebu and an increase in the power rates, Sen. John Osmeña yesterday said he has taken steps that are directed at both the Visayan Electric Co. (Veco) and Cebu Private Power Corp. (CPPC).
In the third news conference he called within a week’s time, Osmeña announced that:
*He will be placing advertisements in Cebu newspapers to “invite the public” to submit complaints and any evidence of “abuse” by Veco throughout the years it has been operating here;
*He has informed the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) that he will file his opposition “the moment Veco files a petition to increase its rates” and that he will insist that the public hearing be held in Cebu; and
*His lawyers are now preparing the articles of cooperation to create the Cebu Electric Cooperative (Cebeco) 4.
Osmeña, who has been waging a war of more than 30 years against the Veco, said the ads will invite Cebuanos to bring their complaints and evidence to his office in downtown Cebu City.
“We will collate these and submit these to the ERC,” he said.
These will also be used in Congress as evidence when he opposes the renewal of Veco’s franchise that is due to expire on Dec. 8 this year.
“Mangugat gyud ko ani (I will insist on this),” Osmeña said.
The senator fears that Veco may still be up to the same practices it had in 1984 when he looked at the power distributor’s records.
Some 20 years ago, he said a nongovernment organization called Kilat found that Veco was “inflating” its capital base to be eligible to charge more for the power it sells.
Based on the scheme called rate of return base, the rates Veco can charge is dependent on the total value of the investment of its stockholders.
“Very old equipment” were still listed as assets just to keep the value of investments high, he noted.
Osmeña, who wants CPPC to abide by the contract it signed with Veco to sell power at a rate lower than the National Power Corp.’s, said he will insist that any public hearing regarding the Veco issue should be held in Cebu.
This way, people will be able to raise their opposition and ask questions, he explained.
He is also inviting Cebuanos, especially residential consumers of electricity, to join him in opposing any petition from Veco to increase its rates as CPPC has asked.
As for Cebeco 4, he said he wants a “a large a support base from the public as possible” so residents of the all the barangays in Metro Cebu that Veco is currently servicing will be invited to join the signature campaign he will launch within the month.
He raised concern, however, that barangay captains in Cebu City allied with his cousin Mayor Tomas Osmeña may not help in this campaign, upon instruction of the mayor.
(June 4, 2003 issue)
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