Power Watch Negros (PWN) lead convenor Wennie Sancho recently sent a letter to the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office to request President Rodrigo Duterte intervene in the “excessive and incompetent power supply agreement” between the Central Negros Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Ceneco) and the Korean Electric Power Corporation-Salcon Power Corporation (Kepco-SPC).

In the letter, he appealed for the president to conduct an investigation into the P232 million in “unpaid, unaccepted contract quantity of Ceneco with [Kepco-SPC].” An amount the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) earlier allowed the Bacolod City utility co-op to collect from member-consumers.

“Member-consumers must not be made to pay for the wrong decision of the Ceneco Board,” the letter noted.

The order would have allowed Ceneco to add an 8¢ per kilowatt-hour (kWh) rate to consumer bills; however, Ceneco President Roy Cordova put the hike on hold temporarily last month.

Sancho went on to call for those responsible, primarily members of the board, including former president Arnel Lapore, be held accountable and punished for “overcontracting.”

Meanwhile, Sancho also met with Philippine Press Institute (PPI) Executive Director Ariel Sebellino, where they agreed on conducting nationwide seminar-workshops on reporting about consumer advocacy in the power industry.

There is no date yet as to when the seminars would begin, although Sancho said the event would likely take place during the first quarter of next year./DGB, WDJ