FORMER Bacolod City representative and former mayor Monico Puentevella continued to express dismay over a House bill authored by incumbent Representative Greg Gasataya that will grant a farmworkers multipurpose cooperative the franchise to provide electricity in Negros Island as he thanked Negros Occidental Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. for supporting his motion to review and dismiss the House Bill (HB) 8827.
“I would like to personally and openly thank Governor Marañon for supporting our motion to review and dismiss the motion to give a franchise to Gamboa Hermanos Farmworkers Multipurpose Cooperative (GHFMPC),” Puentevella said on Monday, April 15.
He said HB 8827 or an Act granting GHFMPC a franchise to construct, install, establish, operate, own, manage and maintain distribution systems for the conveyance of electric power to the end-users in the Island of Negros is very disadvantageous to the electric cooperatives in Negros Occidental.
Puentevella, who is now running for congressman, earlier questioned HB 8827, which was co-authored by Gasataya.
Puentevella said Marañon has expressed his opposition to grant a franchise to the GHFMPC and he is happy for that support.
“If they will be given a franchise (GHFMPC) all the electric cooperatives in Negros Island will also stop its operation including Central Negros Electric Cooperative (Ceneco),” Puentevella said.
He added that Gasataya was the principal author of the bill along with two others congressmen.
Puentevella noted that if he will be given a chance to win in May elections, the first thing he will do is to archive the HB 8827.
Gasataya earlier said that Puentevella is wrong in his understanding of the real intent and spirit of HB 8827.
He said once this bill will be passed into law, the measure will help stabilize the power supply situation in the island.
“The bill is actually complementary to Ceneco’s preparations as it may seek to renew its franchise when it expires. But Puentevella clearly chose to twist the facts by sowing unfounded fears that with a franchise granted to Gamboa Hermanos, the power rates will go up,” he added.
Gasataya advised Puentevella to revisit his understanding of market behaviors particularly on the law of supply and demand.