Wednesday, September 01, 2004 Consumers seek Vidal’s help
CONSUMERS opposed to the power rate increase applied for by the National Power Corp. (Napocor) is turning to Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal for help.
Lito Vasquez of Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC) said he hoped Vidal’s help would “put additional pressure” on the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC).
FDC is one of the groups that initiated a petition asking the ERC to hold in abeyance any provisional authority allowing Napocor to impose a P1.77 per kilowatt hour (kwh) increase on power rates in Visayas.
FDC and the Association of Concerned Commuters in Cebu, which joined the opposition against the Napocor proposed increase, will try to get an appointment with Vidal today.
Petition
About 100 groups and concerned consumers in Cebu signed yesterday the petition in a forum at the Capitol session hall.
Among those who signed were Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) Cebu City chapter president Democrito Barcenas and Cebu City Councilor Sylvan Jakosalem.
Vasquez said the petition will be sent to ERC Manila today.
The groups are also asking the ERC to hold another public hearing in Cebu before deciding on Napocor’s application for rate hike.
ERC Visayas said the commission has not yet granted Napocor provisional authority.
Vasquez said, though, that judging from the statements of ERC commissioners in last week’s hearing, the commission appears to favor Napocor.
“Consumers need to further study Napocor’s application. In the two public hearings here, consumers were not able to participate because not only were the presentations (by Napocor) too technical, they (consumers) were only given pertinent documents after the proceedings,” he said.
Vasquez said concerned consumers also want Napocor to explain the losses it reported as basis for seeking a power rate increase.
Expenditures
“Napocor has to present (documents) that they have been prudent in their expenditures and if their debts are legitimate,” he said.
Napocor said it needs to impose the true cost of generating electricity to be able to cut its losses, pay off debts amounting to billions of pesos and lay the ground for privatization.
The ERC is expected to come out with a decision on Napocor’s application for provisional authority (temporary authority to impose rate increase) on Sep. 5. (LAP)
(September 1, 2004 issue) Write letter to the editor.Click here. Join the Sun.Star message board.Click here.
