CPPC won't shut down power plant

The Cebu Private Power Corporation called off the scheduled shut down of their plant on Saturday after an emergency with Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, Energy Regulatory Commission and Visayan Electric Company Officials last night. Alarmed by the looming power crisis in Cebu, Garcia called an emergency meeting last night to solve the dispute between the CPPC and VECO.

"Both parties have agreed that CPPC will not shut down on November 26," VECO spokesperson Ethel Natera told The Freeman. Natera however said she does not have specific details about the agreement yet.

Veco's top honcho Alfonso Aboitiz, CPPC general manager Roger Lim and ERC officials attended the emergency meeting last night.

The development rendered Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña's request for ERC to intercede moot and academic. Aside from the local officials, the business sector would have also interceded to resolve the problem.

Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Robert Go scheduled a meeting with the officials of VECO and CPPC supposedly to discuss win-win solution to the problem.

Osmeña was worried of the looming brownout as the Southeast Asian Games kick-off today, just one-day before CPPC would have cut the 62 megawatts of power it supplies to VECO. Osmeña, who admitted that he does not know the power situation of Cebu, said that the CPPC-VECO dispute is an issue between bankruptcy from one end and complying with the contract at one end.

CPPC, VECO, ERC and CCCI officials are scheduled to appear before the executive session of the city council today to enlighten the members of the council on the current power situation.

The members of the City Council has approved in a resolution the other day to call officials from VECO, CPPC, ERC and CCCI to attend an executive session.

Go would have met with VECO and CPPC officials yesterday afternoon, but it was cancelled because of the emergency meeting called by Garcia.

Go said, like Garcia the CCCI also wants a win-win solution because it would be the business sector that would bear the brunt of the impact if there is a shortage of power supply.

Lim however warned that they might not have enough fuel to run their plant because they only have supply good for few days after November 26 and he is afraid that Petron would no longer deliver fuel to them if they would not pay upon delivery.

Lim said they do not have the money to pay for the fuel in advance because VECO would pay them one month after they have supplied the power.

Freedom from Debt Coalition yesterday called on the local officials to step into the problem immediately as this would affect the consumers and the business community of Cebu. FDC-Cebu president Lito Vasquez said that the consumers are deeply concerned by the situation because they are left with no choice.

Meanwhile, Regional Trial Court branch 9 presiding judge Geraldine Faith Econg has ordered for the resetting of the hearing of the petition for injunction filed by VECO against CPPC to November 29.

The case however may be moot and academic already after both parties agreed last night that CPPC will no longer stop their operation. - Mitchelle P. Calipayan, Fred P. Languido, Wenna Berondo and Liv Campo