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By Angelo S. Samonte And Jomar Canlas, Reporters
The word war between the Government Service
Insurance System (GSIS) and the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco)
continued during a Cabinet meeting in Bohol on Tuesday. GSIS
President Winston Garcia said Meralco could reduce power cost by 6
centavos to P3 per kilowatt-hour, should the power distributor stop
its “abusive measures.”
Meralco officials fired back, saying the high
power rate charged by the National Power Corp. (Napocor) is the
reason behind the high cost of power in Metro Manila. They denied
incorporating the electric bills of the Lopez-owned companies in the
system losses being charged to electricity consumers.
They also reiterated their desire to scrap the
expanded Value-Added Tax (E-VAT) on fuel and electricity to reduce
power rates in the country.
Only Meralco President Jesus Francisco and Board
Director Christian Monsod attended the Cabinet meeting with
President Gloria Arroyo on Bohol island.
The Lopez family who runs Meralco, was supposed
to meet with the President, but the Lopezes did not attend the
meeting, saying Malacañang had not invited them.
GMA orders study
President Arroyo on Tuesday created a committee
to study how to cut Meralco’s power rates and to know if a
leadership takeover serves the public’s best interest.
“President Arroyo also instructed the core
group of economic managers including the secretaries of the
Department of Budget and Management, Department of Energy,
Department of Finance, Department of Trade and Industry and National
Economic and Development Authority to study the positions presented
by Meralco on concerns recently raised by the government. The group
would then recommend actions to further cut power costs,” Cabinet
Secretary Ricardo Saludo said.
Secretary Cerge Remonde of the Presidential
Management Staff said the study group will only tackle policy issues
and does not intend to duplicate the functions of the Energy
Regulatory Commission, which is also studying the issue of power
rate hike.
Saludo reported Francisco and Monsod said
Meralco is willing to undertake open access and review its power
supply contracts after President Arroyo expressed support for open
access or free competition among independent power producers to
avoid monopoly in the power sector.
The Cabinet also urged the renegotiation of all
Meralco’s contracts with its power suppliers.
“The President and the Cabinet supported the
early implementation of open competition in power supply through
open access. They also urged renegotiation of Meralco’s contracts
with its power suppliers. Meralco said it is willing to undertake
open access and review its power supply contracts,” Saludo said.
Meralco officials said all contracts with
independent power producers should be reviewed to ensure equal
treatment.
Open access would allow big power users
consuming one megawatt a month or more to buy power from generating
plants they choose at the cheaper rates.
Plunder charges filed
Also on Tuesday, plunder charges were filed
before the Ombudsman against 15 Meralco officials, the Energy
Regulatory Commission and Napocor for making illegal charges to the
public.
In a five-page complaint-affidavit,
multisectoral consumer groups filed complaints for violation of
Republic Act 7080 or the Anti-Plunder Law along with fraud and
illegal exactions, economic sabotage, large-scale estafa and
violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act against
Meralco Chairman Manuel Lopez, Lopez Group of Companies Chairman
Oscar Lopez, Director Eugenio Lopez 3rd, Meralco President
Francisco, Senior Vice-President Ireneo Acuna and Treasurer Rafael
Andrada.
Also included in the charges are Energy
Regulatory Commission Chairman Rodolfo Albano Jr., former commission
Chairman Fe Barin, Commissioners Mary Anne Colayco, Carlos Alindada,
Leticia Ibay, former Commissioners Oliver Butalid, Jesus Alcordo,
Raul Tan and Alejandro Barin. The commission officials are also
charged administratively for violation of the Code of Conduct and
Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.
Nongovernment groups Ang Puwersang Pilipinong
Inaapi of Chairman Alberto Ong Jr., along with Alyansa ng Koalisyon
Uno at Overseas Filipino Workers, Bagong Bayani Organizations,
Alliance of Concerned Young Builders Organization, Council of
Commonwealth Affairs, National Federation for Peace in Muslim
Mindanao and several other multisectoral groups led the filing of
the complaint.
According to the complaint, “… their
personal and business gain, money in the aggregate amount of
P30-million illegally collected from the three and a half million
customers from 1994 to 1998 which Meralco used to pay for its income
tax liabilities and obligation due the government as conclusively
declared with finality of judgment by the Supreme Court.”
The complaint avers that such amount is
considered as public funds in the nature of income taxes “to the
damage and prejudice of the government and the Meralco
customers/consumers.”
They also questioned the return of Meralco and
the national television network ABS-CBN to the “Lopez clan without
any single centavo paid, and without the consuming public knowing
the terms and condition for said turnover.”
The complainants included as annexes their
billings and letter of Meralco to then-President Ferdi-nand Marcos
selling Meralco to the government.
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