Sunday, July 08, 2007 Group reiterates call to take-over Peco
*Group’s Chairman lawyer Romeo Gerochi wondered why the city officials are “silent and adamant on the take over issue despite the suffering of more than 40,000 consumers”
THE opening session of the Iloilo City Council was welcomed by members of the Freedom from Debt Coalition with a picket outside the session hall demanding that the Take-Over of Panay Electric Company be prioritized in the agenda with a resolution supporting the move.
It was learned that FDC’s chairperson Romeo Gerochi wrote the City Council in July 3, 2006 after the Energy Regulatory Commission slapped Peco with a P2.89-billion refund order for over-charges covering the period February 1996 to December 2005.
"We have been calling the attention of our honorable members of the City Council to support the move to take-over the ownership of Peco following the ERC directive in order to institute reforms and put an end to the abuses of Peco and bring down electricity rates but it seems it fell in deaf ears," said Gerochi.
Gerochi added, "we could not understand why our city officials are silent and adamant on this issue while the suffering of more than 40,000 consumers are worsening because of Peco's exorbitant electricity rates. We are calling their attention for the people have given them a new mandate following the May 14 election"
Last June 29, the group sent a letter to the City Council reiterating its call for the Council to act on this issue by putting Peco in its number one agenda with a resolution supporting the move. In the letter, the group highlighted that one year has passed yet the august body was not able to act on their request for a resolution.
Take-Over Peco campaigner Ronald Payda announced that their group will re-launch the campaign and once again go to the community level and secure more support from the consumers. "Many consumers have signified their support during our community assemblies and numerous barangay have already issued resolution supporting the move. We will continue our campaign," added Payda.
Around 20 members of the group joined the picket baring placards with "People's No. 1 Agenda: Take-Over Peco and End Peco's Abuse and Monopoly, Take-Over Peco Now!"
Ted Aldwin Ong, FDC's secretary-general said that we are directing our call to the new members of the City Council and the Chairman of the Committee on Public Utilities to take a concrete step on this issue by sponsoring a resolution."
"The people especially the consumers of Peco expect that they act on this issue following their promises during the campaign for the May 14 election. This is the time to put words into action as we are confronting numerous issues on public utilities including the move to privatize Metro Iloilo Water District, explained Ong.
The group also opposed the move to privatize MIWD citing financial irregularities. Our experience with Peco is a concrete example of how a privatized public utility operates. Our City Government does not seem to learn from our experiences with Peco, claimed FDC.
"This is unexpected for we have a Mayor like Jerry Treñas that takes time to study the situation before taking action. If permitted, we are willing to share our knowledge to Mayor Treñas on the privatization of public utilities in order to open his eyes on its impact to the people, concluded Ong.
