ILOILO City – These past days 38 electric meters were reported broken to MORE Electric and Power Corp. (MORE Power). The new power distributor believed the meters were deliberately destroyed to sabotage its operation.
“We condemn the deliberate, malicious and spiteful destruction of electric meters not only because it adversely affects MORE Power’s meter-tagging and inventory but more importantly because it poses a serious threat to the lives and properties of residents,” said Atty. Allana Mae Babayen-on, legal officer of MORE Power.
The company had been steadily receiving reports from concerned citizens about the broken electric meters in various locations since Feb. 28 when it took over the power distribution system from Panay Electric Co. (PECO).
Babayen-on said MORE Power was disappointed but not entirely surprised.
The drive to rehabilitate and upgrade the city’s distribution system, stamp out illegal connections and ensure transparency in meter reading and billing, while laudable, may still be met with resistance by some quarters that could not and would not accept change, even for the better, she lamented.
MORE Power is now conducting a cut-off reading and changing of ageing electric meters.
The destruction of the electric meters is being investigated by MORE Power.
A “destructive wasting of resources” was how Babayen-on described the attack on electric meters even as MORE Power was doing its best to deliver service far better than the previous power distribution utility.
“We encourage everyone to report any suspicious activity to the Philippine National Police and/or notify MORE Power of the same through our website, Facebook page, or hotline numbers. Let us unify against attempts to sabotage Iloilo City’s progress,” said Babayen-on.
MORE Power took over the operation of electricity distribution following the enforcement of the Writ of Possession issued by Iloilo Regional Trial Court, Branch 23’s Judge Emerald Requina-Contreras.
With PECO for 95 years as Iloilo City’s sole power provider, consumers complained of unannounced brownouts and unresponsive customer service, among others – mainly the reason why Congress refused to extend its franchise or grant it a new one.
MORE Power committed to improve the power distribution system reliability and minimize franchise-wide outages.
It also assured consumers of lower power rates.
President Rodrigo Duterte signed MORE Power’s franchise on Feb. 14, 2019./PN
