Peanut balls of Jerry and Joe

The interesting developments surrounding the application for franchise renewal of Panay Electrical Company (PECO) as Iloilo City’s sole power distributor have revealed how the social nicotine of greed and arrogant use of power at the august chamber of the House of Representatives weakened its democratic foundations.

Reasons and facts are nowhere to be found when the House Committee on Legislative Franchises chaired by Palawan Representative Franz “Chikoy” Alvarez approved the franchise application for power distribution of MORE Minerals Corporation, a mining company owned by National Unity Party (NUP) owner and financier billionaire Enrique Razon over the application of PECO.

MORE has literally no single experience and expertise in power distribution except that it boasts of having as part of its board Walter Brown and Roel Castro of Palm Concepcion Power Corporation (PCPC). The two own P1 share of stocks each, records of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) shows.

With less than three months before the franchise of PECO expires and in less than 60 days the franchise application of MORE was approved by the House of Representatives, the power distribution in the city is left hanging with its booming economy on the edge of becoming a collateral damage in a possible deadlock which could only be settled in an inevitable legal battle and government takeover which of course borders on coercion and disaster.

While those who proclaimed themselves the modern day David who slayed PECO, a corporate Goliath are busy claiming victory to serve their egos and political interests, the elected leaders of the city, Representative Jerry Treńas and Mayor Joe Espinosa III have become very silent and calculating.

Elections are seven months away and both Treńas and Espinosa appear to be very reluctant to take a stand.

PECO is unpopular perhaps if we listen to the opportunists and users on the social media and dipping their fingers on the issue could possibly cost them their elections.

However, this is beyond PECO. This is about a medicine worst than the disease. If PECO is the disease, a legislated cure and a vigilant consumer and local government can easily fine tune the service problems it has. If MORE is the medicine, perhaps it would be practical to ask Treńas and Espinosa if they have used their tiny balls and intervene in its formulation just to ensure effective and efficient administration of the solution.

Unfortunately, both officials failed to lift a finger when the House of Representatives tackled with might and lightning speed the franchise application of MORE. They did not even bother to pose a question on how the Alvarez committee would make MORE ensure spontaneous continuity on the delivery of power in the city. Both bigtime leaders were silent as if their peanut-sized balls are too heavy to carry and impose upon the money greedy Congress, the consideration of the consumers welfare in the city.

The clock is ticking and sooner than later, the consumers and the economy of the city are on the tip of becoming the collateral damage of the House of Representatives’ greed, the battle between PECO and MORE and the failure that is Trenas and Espinosa who have no real balls.

SOURCE: Iloilo Metropolitan Times

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