ATO given until May 12 to settle P5.7M electric bills
The Iloilo Electric Cooperative (Ileco) I has given the Air Transportation Office (ATO) until May 12, 2008 to settle their unpaid electric bills amounting to P5.7 million. Otherwise, the electric cooperative will totally disconnect power from the Iloilo Airport in Sta. Barbara-Cabatuan.
Ileco I General Manager Wilfred Billena said they have already given the ATO enough time to settle their outstanding bills.
Last Wednesday afternoon Ileco I cut off power supply to the Iloilo airport for almost two hours. Airport operations, however, went unhampered as the airport management switched to their emergency generators.
The power supply from Ileco I resumed after Iloilo Gov. Niel Tupas Sr. intervened with the assurance from ATO they will settle their electric bills within seven working days.
The governor reportedly called the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to speed up the release of checks for the airport's electrical bills.
Ileco is set to deliver its new electrical bill for ATO on May 14, 2008 amounting to another P2 million. Billena said the cooperative is already losing because of the unpaid bills of ATO.
Two weeks ago, Billena said, ATO paid P2,058,000 of their P2.3 million bill.
They should remember that Ileco is also paying their power provider such as the National Power Corporation (NPC), Avon River and North Negros, said Billena.
Billena added, it is unfair to all the consumers to allow ATO to accumulate their electrical bills. The cooperative has given them (ATO) enough time to have their bills settled."
"The electric cooperative needs cash and not promissory note," said Billena.
"If Ileco 1 will not take the cudgels to collect the funds, then who will do it," he added.