PECO lawyer seeks to defer OK on franchise for MMC

Lawyer Manases Carpio has asked the House committee on legislative franchises to put on hold the approval of the franchise application of More Minerals Corp. (MMC) to distribute electricity in Iloilo City.

“We respectfully request your committee to hold in abeyance its approval of the franchise application of MMC under House Bill (HB) 8132 until after more public hearings with proper invitations to attend and adequate notice are given to all stakeholders,” Carpio said to Palawan Rep. Franz Josef Alvarez, the committee chair.

The letter was dated September 24, 2018.

Carpio, husband of Presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, represents Panay Electric Co. (PECO), the sole power distributor in the city.

PECO’s franchise will expire in January next year.

According to Carpio, MMC, a mining company, is not entitled to a power franchise, especially if the grant is done “without due diligence.”

The lawyer said the conduct of public hearings is the best way to serve the public interest as the committee determine which of the franchise applicants deserves to operate in the city.

HB 8132 was filed by filed by Parañaque Rep. Gus Tambunting, chairman of the committee on games and amusement, in August this year.

The bill was approved by the Alvarez panel on Sept. 17.

On the other hand, HB 6023, which seeks the renewal of PECO’s franchise, was filed by Camiguin Rep. Xavier Jesus Romualdo in July 2017.

SOURCE: Iloilo Metropolitan Times

Special thanks to: