ERC: Rate hike application flawed

TAGBILARAN CITY, Philippines -  – The application of Bohol Light Company, Inc. (BLCI) for a power rate increase in the province has been found technically flawed by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) during a public hearing on the matter held the other day.

Lawyers, representing the provincial government, and other intervenors were able to convince the ERC team, headed by lawyer Rhett Mislang, to deny the application due to BLCI’s lapses in procedural requirements.

Provincial Board Members Benjie Arcamo, Abeleon Damalerio and Cesar Tomas Lopez, lawyers John Mitchell Boiser and Peter Iman Mende of the provincial government, and City Councilors Nerio Zamora II, Doni Piquero and Bebiano Inting argued that the BLCI’s copies furnished to them have no signature and not been verified by the firm’s counsel.

The ERC, after examining the application and its annexes filed and submitted to the ERC secretariat, headed by clerk of court Rolando Gomez, found out that these were verified as required, raising the question on why these were not signed and notarized.

The opposing lawyers also found that only a copy of such application in BLCI’s possession bore verification by the counsel. This prompted them to raise their concern on whether the documents in company’s possession were the same as those furnished to them.

BLCI counsel Michael Ancheta II argued by insisting that the company’s documents and those provided to the oppositors (city and province), even if not verified as required by ERC rules of procedures, were the same.

Due to BLCI’s lapses in the pre-application process, the ERC had to stop the public hearing. Mislang said there must be due process for the consumers to be informed and the LGUs to be given the opportunity to verify the documents furnished them. He said he still has to bring the matter to his superiors. – (FREEMAN)