City Council scuttles dialogue with PECO

THE Iloilo City Council shelved the scheduled conference with embattled power distribution firm Panay Electric Co. (PECO).

During its regular session on Nov 27, 2018, Councilor Plaridel Nava, committee on public utilities chair, questioned the initiative of Councilor Armand Parcon on inviting PECO to a conference, citing that the usual procedure of the council was not observed.

“You have to remember that not just any councilor can invite a company or a person for a committee hearing if it is not referred to his committee.  You cannot just take initiative. Based on the minutes of the previous session, there was no concurrence in so far as PECO concerned. It is out of the usual procedure,” Nava said.

Nava emphasized that any formal motion by Parcon to invited PECO must be approved by the city council as a collegial body.

“During the discussion in the last session, Councilor Armand Parcon stood up and manifested that he wanted PECO also to appear before the council. It was not thoroughly discussed and deliberated, and we were not formally informed,” he said.

After deliberations, the council agreed on Nava’s proposal that PECO must first write to the council and ask for time to present its side in the ongoing distribution franchise with MORE Power and Electric, Co.

“PECO has to send a letter to us because experience will tell us that twice the city council invited PECO before, they just simply shrugged it off. We don’t want that to happen again. Now it is fitting, and we should demand from them that if they want to present to us, they should also send us a letter,” Nava said.

NO QUALMS

Parcon said he has no qualms on the decision of the committee chairman.

“I have no qualms. Akon ya kung indi madayon, may tiyempo pa man ang importante manindugan kita. Sa akon ya, gina-emphasize ko ya, More Electric and Power Corporation (MORE Power), PECO, or government takeover, ang importante maserbisyuhan ang tawo, quality service sang power supply, steady power supply, reasonable rate, and efficient service,” Parcon said.

The councilor also refrained from making specific comments on the question whether Nava’s move was intentional or not.

“Indi ko ya magtumbok sa upod ko. Kung gusto damo paagi kung indi, damo rason,” he said.

Parcon also confirmed that a letter from PECO was sent to his office right after the session, requesting for dialogue to be held on either December 3 or 4, 2018.

Based on the letter signed by PECO corporate communications officer Mikel Afzelius, the conference will focus on PECO’s official assurance on continuous power supply to consumers, unannounced brown-outs, updates on its franchise, and other related matters.

NO WEIGHT?

PECO, Iloilo City’s sole power distributor, is still trying to renew its franchise which will expire in January 2019.

MORE Power has secured the nods of the House of Representatives and the Senate Committee on Public Services. It vowed to provide Ilonggos better services during its presentation to the council on Nov 26, 2018.

PECO’s application for renewal remains pending in the House Committee on Congressional Franchises.

While the battle may not be over since the MORE Power’s franchise bill has yet to be signed by President Rodrigo Duterte, Nava said that the proposed presentation of PECO before the council has no weight.

“Wala na weight. Kay amo na ni ang punto naton, this are all just exercise in futility but in the first place wala man paghulag ang franchise nila so what is there to explain,” Nava said.

SOURCE: The Daily Guardian

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