Pampanga consumers rap power firm, seek GMA help

GUAGUA, Pampanga — Central Luzon’s biggest consumer group is seeking an audience with President Arroyo in its bid to end alleged "massive graft and corruption" in an electric cooperative affecting some 90,000 consumers in seven towns in this province amid reports that another P6.8 million of their bill payments have mysteriously vanished.

In a manifesto distributed yesterday to clients of the Pampanga Electric Cooperative II (Pelco II), the Consumers Alliance of Pelco II (CAP II) also pointed out that the power firm has reported increasing losses amounting to P77,595,576 as of last year, since Vicente Rodriguez assumed post as general manager.

Catalina Saplala, CAP II chairperson, said that Rodriguez is now planning to retire with all benefits despite administrative cases filed against him.

"We have received reports that the National Electrification Administration (NEA) is now processing papers for his retirement," she said.

But CAP II officials said they would block his retirement with benefits until charges against him have been resolved, including the missing bill payments worth P6,874,956 reported at Pelco II sub-office here.

The special investigation division of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) is also conducting its investigation of fake receipts used by Pelco II last year.

Among the recent anomalies uncovered by CAP II were the unpaid bills worth P130,837 of one Alfredo Twano, brother of Pelco II director Rodolfo Twano, covering a period of 25 months.

"Why does Pelco II tolerate this when it cut off the power supply of ordinary consumers for failing to pay bills worth P300 within only two months?" CAP II asked.

CAP II also recalled that for the year 1999, Pelco II failed to collect bills worth P5,707,277 and another P7,113,653 last year.

Some CAP II officials have expressed suspicion of collusion between Rodriguez and authorities in the NEA which has consistently failed to act on complaints lodged by CAP II, despite adverse findings of NEA’s cooperative system audit division. — Ding Cervantes