IF WORDS spoken by Panay Electric Company (PECO) spokesmen were to be the basis, the expiration of its franchise come Jan. 19, 2019 calls for a renewal. No to a new player! How could a “stranger” build the massive infrastructure required to energize the entire Iloilo City?
They may have a point, but it does not follow that a new player like MORE Electric and Power Corporation could not do it within a transition period agreeable to both companies – say four to six months to forge a win-win solution. Within the period allowed by the Energy Regulation Commission, the outgoing company may sell its poles and facilities to the incoming one.
There is obviously no “forever” in a 25-year franchise. Since it is a monopolistic service provider, its renewal or non-renewal would have to be acceptable to service receivers. Bereft of that acceptability, it loses moral ground to ask for renewal of franchise.
What is currently unfolding, however, is the reliance of PECO in “influence peddling” to ward off the impending threat to its “life extension.” The House of Representatives’ approval of MORE’s franchise application prompted PECO to hire a son-in-law of President Duterte to help reverse the situation.
So far (at least as of this writing), however, Atty. Manases Carpio – husband of Mayor Sara Duterte – has not opened his mouth. He would no doubt be more effective working silently through letters addressed to legislators. Why catch public attention that could revive public consciousness of those forgotten days when Customs “fixer” Mark Taguba named him in a Senate inquiry on a “Davao group” that allegedly smuggled into the country P6.4-billion worth of shabu from China?
It’s the other lawyer, Atty. Inocencio Ferrer, trying hard to paint a scary scene – an inevitable power blackout if and when PECO stops operating on Jan. 19 and a newcomer comes in.
“Blackmail!” hollered broadcaster Jonathan Cabrera on Ferrer’s threat.
Anyway, has the entry of the President’s son-in-law as “instant” PECO lawyer served any purpose?
Let us recall that in his Nov. 11 speech in Puerto Princesa City, President Duterte suddenly alluded to the competing firms, saying he would not intervene “if it is providing good electricity pero kung gusto mo lang mang-agaw ng negosyo, sabi ko eh ‘wag na.”
Obviously, PECO counts on “presidential intervention” to save itself from expiration. But that would be unpalatable to power consumers who have been complaining of inefficient service, overcharging, fire-prone “spaghetti” wiring, wrong meter reading and power pilferage leading to system’s loss chargeable to paying subscribers. Nobody knows of anybody whom PECO charged in court for power pilferage.
This corner knows of no law that allows “presidential intervention” as prerequisite to grant of legislative franchise, unless an intimidated Congress agrees to do as dictated.
While this corner agrees that PECO has a long 95-year track record, the same argument could be used to justify its phase-out. It has made billions of pesos in profit already. Probably seeing itself “irreplaceable,” it has not modernized.
Incidentally, the wireless lamp posts we marvel at when passing Megaworld could not be credited to PECO. It was the said business community that buried the wires underground.
MORE Electric and Power Corporation applied for franchise on Aug. 22, 2018, which was approved by the House on Oct. 8, 2018, then “approved in principle” by the Senate’s Committee on Public Services on Oct. 22.
There is always a “first time.” PECO did it and succeeded.
So why not give another newcomer the same chance? (hvego31@gmail.com/PN)
