Government power line may have been tapped –city councilor

Following their move from an office along Macario Peralta Street in Iloilo City’s City Proper district to the Ker & Co. building, located next to City Hall, a proposed Iloilo City Council resolution seeks to look into Iloilo City Agriculturist Office (CAO) electricity bills after reports surfaced revealing bills totaled around P85,000 per month.

Iloilo City Councilor Plaridel Nava, who is proposing the resolution, called the amount “shocking” and said the office’s utility bills from the time of former Iloilo City lone district Rep. Raul Gonzalez, Sr., who served from 1995 to 2004, until the present need to be reviewed.

While the move was made after Iloilo City Mayor Jose Espinosa III had the office’s Panay Electric Company meter terminated amid the transfer, it was also revealed Iloilo City lone district Rep. Jerry Treñas had offices connected to the same meter, which the congressman confirmed.

Nava said, if electricity was found to be used in excess and there is evidence the line was tapped, “Somebody must be held accountable.” He noted, the action is illegal and “considered criminal in nature.”

However, the city councilor expressed uncertainty about his resolution passing due to partisanship.

Nava also claimed Melchor Tan, who served as city administrator when Treñas was mayor, lobbied each member of the city council except himself and City Councilor Joshua Alim to reject the measure. He added, Alim was also made aware of the matter by other city councilors.

“I don’t know why he did that,” he said. “Waay pa ko gani sang draft sang resolution (We don’t even have a draft of the resolution).”

Tan later denied the accusations during a radio interview, saying, he has no reason to call the councilors./WDJ