House issues subpoena vs Calida over intervention preventing Meralco from paying gov't dues

Two House committees jointly issued Friday a subpoena against Solicitor General Jose Calida for him to explain his office's intervention  on Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management (PSALM) Corporation efforts to collect receivables.

The House committee on good governance public accountability and committee on public accounts said Calida failed to show up during their two hearings held on February 19 and 20.

The Solicitor General is enjoined to attend the joint hearing on March 11.

The committees are conducting investigation into the P95.42 billion uncollected receivables of PSALM.

The House panels, in a statement, said Calida should first justify why his office filed a motion for leave to intervene in connection with PSALM’s P15 billion uncollected receivables from Meralco and First Gen Hydro Power Corporation.

The said motion effectively prevents Meralco from settling its P15 billion worth of due to PSALM, the committees said.

“It was during these hearings that representatives of several corporations, most notably Meralco which owes the government close to P 15 billion, manifested their willingness to immediately settle their obligations to PSALM but were unable to do so because of the motion to intervene filed by the OSG,” the House panels said.

“While we welcome the move of those companies who have been persuaded to settle their accounts—noting that these funds belong to the people and will go a long way in ensuring that the Philippine’s plan for energy sufficiency and sustainability becomes a reality—there are still those who refuse to heed the President’s call to pay what they owe,” they added.—AOL, GMA News