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[av_heading heading=’‘LISTEN TO CONSUMERS’ SP wants PECO franchise hearing in Iloilo ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=’30’ subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
BY GLENDA SOLOGASTOA
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Wednesday, November 8, 2017
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ILOILO City – The congressional hearing on the renewal of Panay Electric Company’s (PECO) franchise should be held here, according to the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP).
PECO is the sole power distributor in this city. Its franchise will expire in 2019.
Consumers should be given the chance to express their sentiments on PECO at the public hearing, said Councilor Joshua Alim who has been helping people prepare complaints mostly about alleged violations on the Magna Carta for Residential Electricity Consumers for filing at the Energy Regulatory Commission.
The city council unanimously approved a resolution yesterday requesting the Committee on Legislative Franchises of the Lower House to hold the hearing in this city. Alim was the resolution proponent.
Congress should know that “damo sang reklamo” against PECO, said Alim.
The Committee on Legislative Franchise is seeking the SP’s stance, too, on House Bill No. 6023 (An Act Renewing the Franchise of PECO, Inc. Granted Under Republic Act No. 5360 and Extended by the Electrification Commission to Establish, Operate and Maintain a Distribution System for the Conveyance of Electric Power to End-User in the City of Iloilo).
The city council would be coming up with a collective stand on the matter, said Alim.
“Personally, ang akon ‘ya nga stand indi gid pag-i-renew kag i-open ang franchise sa kon sin-o ang mga power players nga makahatag sang maayo nga serbisyo sa mga konsumidor,” he said.
The SP urged the House of Representatives in April to investigate PECO and the following complaints of consumers:
* unreliable meter readings
* sudden rise in electric bills
* arrogant employees
* unexplained charges
“Such conditions cause discomfort and inconvenience to consumers, in violation of PECO’s franchise,” read part of the SP resolution calling for a congressional investigation.
Cong. Jerry Treñas said he won’t oppose a congressional inquiry. He admitted being affiliated with the law firm of PECO but vowed to inhibit himself from the probe should it materialize.
“Kon imbestigahan gid man sang Congress then I just have to disclose that PECO is one of the clients of the law office of which I am a member,” said Treñas.
He said he won’t tolerate any wrongdoing, if there is any.
“Kon may ara dapat imbestigahon, imbestigahon,” he stressed.
PECO said it was open to a congressional investigation.
“We are ready. We are transparent,” said Mikel Afzelius, corporate communications officer of the power distributor, in a previous interview.
Afzelius also stressed that PECO promptly acted on consumers’ complaints, most especially those concerning electricity bills.
“Majority of Iloilo (consumers) wala man ta ya problema,” he insisted.
In April, PECO bared it was considering reforms in its systems to address erroneous billing, among other issues.
It may offer a long-term payment plan for accumulated bills and create a task force focusing on billing and meter reading concerns, said Vice President for Operation Randy Pastolero.
Under the payment plan, PECO consumers may settle accumulated bills in monthly installments without surcharges.
Disconnection of meters of all affected consumers would be suspended, said Pastolero.
On top of an existing verification team, the “task force for field verification” would immediately verify questionable billings and adjust billing errors, said Pastolero.
PECO would also partially implement an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) program wherein 1,000 units of “smart meters” would be initially installed.
Smart meters have a high level of meter reading accuracy. All readings are programmed to go directly to the computers of PECO without any actual meter readers needed on the field./PN
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