ILOILO – Panay Electric Company (PECO) had slammed More Electric and Power Corporation (MORE) after latter failed to deliver what they have promised during the congressional hearing when they trying yet to get a franchise.
MORE is the current franchise holder for power distribution utility in this southern city while PECO is refiling its franchise renewal.
The Congress Committee on Legislative Franchise sets its hearing for PECO’s franchise today. According to PECO administrative manager Marcelo Cacho, it’s already been six months since RA 11212 (MORE franchise law) was passed and the people still don’t see any facilities which MORE told the Committee on Legislative Franchise to construct.
“If they cannot acquire the properties and facilities of PECO due to either price or we do not have an agreement, they will set up their own assets and facilities which until this date we don’t see any assets and in previous hearing, they said it will take them only one year to set up all their assets…” Cacho stressed.
Cacho was specifically referring to the statement of Roel Castro, president and CEO of MORE. He was quoted from the Sept. 18 minutes of the meeting of the Committee on Legislative Franchises wherein he admitted that “to set up its own distribution utility facilities the company would need at least a year.”
Also on Sept. 12 hearing, Cacho cited Castro saying that “If the price of the assets of PECO is too high, he said that they will produce their own infrastructures.”
Cacho added that “it only boils down that MORE deceived the committee because their only plan since that start was the take over of PECO’s business without the plan of their own to set up their facilities, hired their own personnel.
