Dealco pressured to pay P3-M power bill for Manila abattoir

MANILA, Philippines – Dealco Farms Inc., which used to run the Vitas Slaughterhouse, is under increasing pressure to pay electic bills amounting to over P3 million. Manila Mayor Alfredo S. Lim on Monday directed the city’s legal officer to write a letter asking the company, owned by the family of Councilor Dennis Alcoreza, to settle its two outstanding Meralco bills amounting to P3,278,883.45. Last July 11, Lim order the takeover of the slaughterhouse from Dealco, which he said had broken several provisions in the lease contract it signed with the city. In the letter made on Monday, lawyer Renato de la Cruz, head of the city legal office deparment, noted that Meralco had already written Dealco asking for payment. The Meralco letter, dated July 28 and sent by its payments chief Clarito San Buenaventura, said: "As these bills have already aged considerably, we urgently request you to pay them within a definite time frame." The amount, he said, covers two accounts: • Meter no. 800334401 with bills of P455,093.45 • Meter no. 800334501 with bills totaled P2,823,790 The Meralco letter further said: "These unpaid bills continue to pose financial burden on our part. Hence, we will appreciate your prompt action so that we may work out a scheme to reduce the level of these obligations." The city legal department chief said in his letter that Dealco should be the one to settle the said unpaid bills since it was the said company that consumed the electric power. He also urged Dealco to settle its electric bills immediately in order to avoid disconnection of the power supply to the slaughterhouse, which may adversely affect its operations by the city government. The Alcoreza family also owes the city millions in unpaid rentals and an unremitted one percent share of the city. - GMANews.TV