ILOILO City – Panay Electric Company (PECO), represented by its administrative manager Marcelo Cacho, charged councilors Joshua Alim and Plaridel Nava with graft, falsification of document and libel at the Department of Justice (DOJ).
In an 11-page complaint, Cacho specifically accused staunch PECO critics Alim and Nava of violation of Section 3 (e) of Republic Act (RA) 3019 (Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act); violation of Article 171 (paragraph 2 and 4), use of falsified document under Article 172, sub-paragraph of paragraph 2 of the Revised Penal Code; and libel under Section 4 (c), paragraph 4 of Republic Act 10175 (Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012).
PECO also charged Presidential Consultant for Western Visayas Jane Javellana and Dr. Marigold Gonzalez with falsification of document and use of falsified document.
When PECO was then renewing its franchise last year, according to Cacho, the respondents conspired to “use and submit to the Senate Committee an alleged petition containing false allegations” against the power distributor and purportedly signed by 27,000 individuals.
Cacho dismissed as bloated, fabricated and untruthful the issues raised in the questioned petition such as overbilling, billing without meter reading, unannounced power outages, inaction on consumer complaints, deteriorating posts, arrogance of PECO personnel, and disrespect to the Iloilo City Council.
On the contrary, he stressed, PECO provided a mechanism to resolve billing complaints.
The fakery of the signatures, on the other hand, was attested to in a manifesto of concerned individuals who complained of having been misled, according to Cacho.
He further accused Alim, Nava and Javellana of taking advantage of the public offices they hold when they attended Senate committee hearings on PECO’s franchise.
The actions of the respondents, according to Cacho, ruined the almost-century old good business and community reputation of PECO and caused undue injury to the company in the amount of P100 million.
PECO had been the sole power distributor in Iloilo City for 95 tears. Its franchise expired in Jan. 19 this year; it failed to secure an extension or renewal.
Congress instead issued a franchise to another power distributor, More Electric and Power Corp./PN
