Solon slams Iloilo City power firm for 'attempts' at suppressing complaints

A lawmaker on Sunday slammed More Electric and Power Corporation (MORE Power) for "obviously" attempting to silence  consumers, whose complaints against the power distributor have been piling up.

AKO BISAYA Party-List Representative Sonny Lagon on Sunday said in a phone interview, "Wala silang sariling facilities pero pinayagan silang mag-takeover. Dapat nagkaroon muna sila ng konkretong plano bago sila pinayagang pumasok ng Iloilo City."

In March this year, the Energy Regulatory Commission granted MORE Power the  provisional authority (PA), revoking the provisional certificate of public convenience and necessity (CPCN) granted to Panay Electric Company, Inc. (PECO), the former electric power franchisee in Iloilo City.

But Lagon's criticism came on the heels of a revelation of a potential breach of the Energy Regulatory Commission’s 6.25% cap on excess system loss charges.

According to consumer advocacy group Koalisyon Bantay Kuryente (KBK), MORE Power had endorsed the registration of an imposter "KBK" to suppress the voices of Ilonggo consumers who raised the alarm over the potential P20.9 million in fraudulent overbilling that resulted from the breach of the ERC cap.

Earlier in June, Lagon had filed House Resolution No. 785, which sought a congressional probe into the power situation of Iloilo City to prevent the adverse economic and social impact that MORE Power’s poor service had on the city.

“Before kasi nung si PECO ang nag-operate diyan, hindi naman talaga na-experience ng mga tao ng Iloilo City ang mga ganitong brownouts. Kung umasa lang sila kay MORE sa ngayon, since wala pang kumpletong facilities si MORE, talagang hindi maiwasan na magkaroon ng mga brownout sa Iloilo City,” said Lagon in an earlier statement.

In mid-June, MORE Power said it has started looking into possible sabotage in the series of power trip-offs in Iloilo City even after the company had conducted maintenance work in an area.

In a statement, it said it was not discounting the possibility that the brownouts were caused by an "obvious attack  on the power system."

On the other hand, Lagon said that the power situation in Iloilo City represents the Philippines’ first time that power distribution assets have been the prize of a predatory takeover by another private entity.

“Dumaan naman sa due process. Pero sabihin na nating hilaw,” said Lagon. —LBG, GMA News