By Ambrosio R. Villorente
Resource persons during the April 12 Kapehan Sa Aklan discussing the Electric Power Rates situation in Akelco. They are ( l to r) Atty. Romeo Inocencio, Rev. Fr. Isauro David, Engr. Roger M. Esto, and Atty. Genalyn Ibardolaza.
Odon S. Bandiola and Allen V. Alcedo jointly moderating the Kapehan.The Aklanon’s long-held indignation and bitter protests over the prohibitive costs of power supplied by an electric cooperative was tackled during a no-holds-barred media forum on Saturday, April 12, 2008 in Kalibo, Aklan.
The discussion was on House Resolution No. 306 introduced by Aklan Congressman Florencio T. Miraflores which was approved by a congressional committee on rules for adoption without any amendments on Dec. 10 last year.
In his resolution endorsed by other lawmakers in the House of Representatives, Congressman Miraflores noted the mounting public outcry in Aklan over the steep rise in power rates imposed by the Aklan Electric Cooperative (Akelco).
He said the public indignation led to a massive rally on Oct. 23 last year by thousands of Aklanons denoun-cing the Akelco’s power rate hike which only prejudiced the province’s consumers.
As sought by Congressman Miraflores, the congres-sional committee on rules, through the committee on energy, agreed to conduct an inquiry in aid of legislation into the validity of Akelco’s power charges in Aklan to protect public interests.
The legislative probe would focus on the validity of the amended electric power purchase agreement (EPPA) entered into by Akelco with Mirant Global Philippines, Inc. on Aug. 3, 2004.
Congressman Miraflores, representative of Aklan’s lone district, said the EPPA unduly increased the power rate charges in Akelco’s service areas.
He denounced the unwarranted rise in power costs spelled out in the two EPPAs forged between Mirant, an independent power producer, and Akelco, the sole power distributor in Aklan and several towns in Antique, on Oct. 1, 2003.
Under the deal, Mirant would supply Akelco with electricity from the former’s two power plants a 7.5 megawatt(mw) capacity in Nabas and a 5.0-mw plant in New Washington, both in Aklan, at an agreed price of P4.30 per kilowatt hour (kwh), including transmission charges.
As presented to the Aklan provincial government, Mirant made it clear that its power supply rates would be the same as those of Napocor and that they could only be made lower, not higher, during the time of the agreements.
Congressman Miraflores, however, deplored that on Aug. 3, 2004, Akelco and Mirant amended the EPPA involving the Nabas plant without prior consultation with and consent from the Aklan provincial government increasing the rate by a whopping 105 percent from P4.30 to P8.82 per kwh.
In his resolution, the lawmaker said it is incumbent upon Congress as a policy-making body of government to look into what he called the dubious practice of amending agreements not only for remedial legislation, but also to safeguard public interests.
But during the Saturday, April 12 Kapehan, the invited resource persons, Mr. Chito Peralta and Mr. Paterno Ibarreta, general manager and chairman, BOD respectively of Akelco were not able to attend because of previous commitments.
The every-Saturday media forum, hosted by Kusina Restaurant, was initiated by the Publishers Association of the Philippines, Inc. (PAPI) in cooperation with the Aklan Press Club, Inc. and the Aklan Media Forum. /MP
The discussion was on House Resolution No. 306 introduced by Aklan Congressman Florencio T. Miraflores which was approved by a congressional committee on rules for adoption without any amendments on Dec. 10 last year.
In his resolution endorsed by other lawmakers in the House of Representatives, Congressman Miraflores noted the mounting public outcry in Aklan over the steep rise in power rates imposed by the Aklan Electric Cooperative (Akelco).
He said the public indignation led to a massive rally on Oct. 23 last year by thousands of Aklanons denoun-cing the Akelco’s power rate hike which only prejudiced the province’s consumers.
As sought by Congressman Miraflores, the congres-sional committee on rules, through the committee on energy, agreed to conduct an inquiry in aid of legislation into the validity of Akelco’s power charges in Aklan to protect public interests.
The legislative probe would focus on the validity of the amended electric power purchase agreement (EPPA) entered into by Akelco with Mirant Global Philippines, Inc. on Aug. 3, 2004.
Congressman Miraflores, representative of Aklan’s lone district, said the EPPA unduly increased the power rate charges in Akelco’s service areas.
He denounced the unwarranted rise in power costs spelled out in the two EPPAs forged between Mirant, an independent power producer, and Akelco, the sole power distributor in Aklan and several towns in Antique, on Oct. 1, 2003.
Under the deal, Mirant would supply Akelco with electricity from the former’s two power plants a 7.5 megawatt(mw) capacity in Nabas and a 5.0-mw plant in New Washington, both in Aklan, at an agreed price of P4.30 per kilowatt hour (kwh), including transmission charges.
As presented to the Aklan provincial government, Mirant made it clear that its power supply rates would be the same as those of Napocor and that they could only be made lower, not higher, during the time of the agreements.
Congressman Miraflores, however, deplored that on Aug. 3, 2004, Akelco and Mirant amended the EPPA involving the Nabas plant without prior consultation with and consent from the Aklan provincial government increasing the rate by a whopping 105 percent from P4.30 to P8.82 per kwh.
In his resolution, the lawmaker said it is incumbent upon Congress as a policy-making body of government to look into what he called the dubious practice of amending agreements not only for remedial legislation, but also to safeguard public interests.
But during the Saturday, April 12 Kapehan, the invited resource persons, Mr. Chito Peralta and Mr. Paterno Ibarreta, general manager and chairman, BOD respectively of Akelco were not able to attend because of previous commitments.
The every-Saturday media forum, hosted by Kusina Restaurant, was initiated by the Publishers Association of the Philippines, Inc. (PAPI) in cooperation with the Aklan Press Club, Inc. and the Aklan Media Forum. /MP
No comments:
Post a Comment