FDC calls for more vigilance as PECO consumers await favorable verdict
If consumer group Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC) is to be asked Panay Electric Company (Peco) failed to present compelling evidence to persuade the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to consider and approve its application for amendment to its Power Purchase Agreement (PPA).
ERC held is last and final hearing on the petition on January 19 in Cebu City.
Among the ERC Commissioners present during the hearing are Commissioners Raul Tan, Jesus Alcordo, and Alejandro Barin, who also acted as the presiding officer of the hearing.
In its aim for a swift resolution of the case, Commisioner Barin proposed to the parties involved that they hand in a draft decision to the Commission within ten days after the receipt of the minutes of the proceedings instead of filing individual memoranda to the Commission for its decision.
Likewise, Commissioner Barin ordered the Commission's secretary to finalize the minutes of the proceedings within five (5) days, giving both parties a total of 15 days to prepare its draft decision as basis for evaluation in which to hinge its final decision. Both parties did not register objections to the proposal of Commissioner Barin.
The hearing was held in the Integrated Bar of the Philippines building in Cebu City. The Ilonggo power consumers were represented by FDC-Iloilo through its chairperson and counsel Romeo Gerochi and lawyer Edeljulio Romero.
"This development demands more vigilance as we continueto protect our rights as electricity consumers. This is the pitfall of a local power industry under a privatized set up. Privatization paves the way for monopolyunder the hands of greedy companies like PECO and Mirant-PPC," said Ted Aldwin Ong, deputy secretary-general of FDC-Iloilo.
Ong also emphasized that "somebody has to do this work in order to protect the welfare of the Filipino consumers from the abuses of capitalists engaged in the power generation and distribution business. Atty. Gerochi and the members of FDC in all of our chapters in the country are committed to continue this fight to the end."