Published March 9, 2020, 10:00 PM By MYRNA M.
VELASCO
The Energy Regulatory Commission
(ERC) is being asked to reverse its ruling on the issuance of provisional
approval for a certificate of public convenience and necessity (CPCN) to the
Razon group’s MORE Electric and Power Corporation, which essentially affirmed
its takeover of power substation assets duly owned by Panay Electric Power
Company.
The motion for reconsideration was
filed on Monday (March 9) with the ERC by PECO legal counsel Estrella Elamparo,
with her noting that the takeover of the assets had been illegal because such
had been achieved by alleged misrepresentations of MORE Power.
She said they are batting for a
hearing of the urgent motion on Wednesday (March 11) this week, “so we can
unmask all the falsities that were foisted by MORE before the ERC, and
hopefully, the ERC will be similarly incensed by having been misled by MORE into
issuing that provisional authority.”
In the same order that was issued by
the ERC last March 5, it revoked the CPCN it previously issued to PECO, which
became the Cacho-owned power utility firm’s license in continually operating
its facilities and extending services to customers in Iloilo City – that as its
franchise had expired in January 2019.
Elamparo noted in the provisional
authority issued to MORE Power last week, “there was not a single document –
verified or authenticated document that has been submitted,” with her
emphasizing that “we understand why because there’s nothing that they can
produce, except their misrepresentations.”
Taking premise from that then, the
PECO lawyer said “we ask the ERC to immediately reverse that order that was issued.”
In addition, PECO told reporters
that it filed a motion with the Court of Appeals “to resolve our motion for TRO
(temporary restraining order) because of the continuing atrocities, especially
with the affirmation by the RTC (regional trial court) of Iloilo that the
takeover that happened was contrary to its own order for PECO to continue
operating the facilities.”
Elamparo explained that based on an
addendum sanctioned by the local court in Iloilo, it is still PECO that has
been vested with the power to continually operate and service the electricity
requirements of end-users in the area.
PECO Administrative Manager Marcelo
Cacho indicated that it has not been “more power,” but there had been “more
confusion” being hurled against consumers in Iloilo City, because of MORE
Power’s recent incursion in which they have been cornering applications for
connection with them, even if their entire service chain is not yet in place.
He noted that MORE Power claims of
having its own power supply portfolio and it is even procuring supply from the
Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM), but Cacho noted when they had it
checked with the WESM, “More Power has pending application for registration,
but still has lacking documents,” hence, its registration as a trading participant
in the spot market had not secured any approval yet.
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