BY CHRYSEE G. SAMILLANO
Power Watch Negros, a consumer rights group in the franchise area of Central Negros Electric Cooperative (Ceneco), submitted a position paper manifesting its intention to attend the face-to-face Congressional inquiry of the Committee on Energy.
Wennie Sancho, Power Watch Negros secretary general, yesterday said they have submitted their position paper for the December 5 Congressional inquiry of the Committee chaired by Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Jay Velasco, through the Office of Bacolod Rep. Greg Gasataya on November 28. However, the inquiry was reset to December 5.
Sancho said Power Watch had manifested to attend the inquiry if their group will be given an invitation. This will be an opportunity for Power Watch, in behalf of the 210,864 consumers in the franchise area of Ceneco, to raise issues and concerns that have brought burden and pain to the consumers amid the high cost of living and sky-rocketing inflation that has created a rising tide of discontentment against Ceneco management and the Board of Directors for gross mismanagement, inefficiency and incompetence of the BOD that have brought huge indebtedness to the power utility firm.
“These are the facts that have to be brought to the attention of our national legislators. This injustice should be addressed because our frustration is going to a point of despair,” he said.
Ceneco must be saved from its imminent collapse due to alleged corruption and abuse of power, Sancho said adding that “We must save it from the possibility of more deadly and devastating effects that might cause it to fall like a deck of cards because of financial disaster as a consequence of greed and corruption.”
Ceneco president Jojit Yap had said earlier that they are doing their best to deliver better services to the consumers of Ceneco.
Yap said all the actions they have taken have been approved by the National Electrification Administration (NEA).
Acting Ceneco general manager Ervin Stan Leo Ticar said they are confident that all power contracts they entered into would not have been approved if these did not pass through the NEA, Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) or the Department of Energy.*
