Advocates from the rural electrification sector collectively known as the One EC-MCO Movement held a forum on April 18 to address the issues and concerns surrounding electric cooperatives by strengthening strategic partnerships.
One of the resource speakers was PHILRECA Party-List Representative Presley De Jesus who officially declared the support of the One EC-MCO Movement for presidential candidate VP Leni Robredo. With less than a month before the 2022 National and Local Elections, Rep. De Jesus highlighted the increasing force of Robredo’s campaign.
“VP Leni is one of the most empowered women not only in our government but in the Philippines. She is so empowered that as early as her first day in office, she is being seen as a threat by the Administration. And up to now, even her fellow candidates in the presidential race are ganging up on her, so to speak. Her presence in this race is so commanding that fellow candidates had to unite together to try to oust her – hindi pa man siya naka-upo – from the race because indeed, she is a force to reckon with”, Rep. De Jesus said.
The first nominee of Ako Padayon Pilipino Party-List and Secretary General of National Center of Electric Cooperative Consumers or NCECCO, Edgardo Rama Masongsong also expressed his statement of support for Vice President Leni Robredo.
“Wala pong ibang kandidato ang nararamdaman ang pulso ng mga electric cooperatives kung hindi si Vice President Leni Robredo. Sa lahat po ng kinausap natin na mga kandidato, siya lamang ang bukod tanging nakinig at naiintindihan ang ating mga ipinaglalaban. Hindi naman nakapagtataka dahil siya po ay kakampi na natin bago pa man siya sumabak sa pulitika. Kakampi siya ng mga nasa laylayan ng lipunan. Naniniwala siya na ang mga kooperatiba ay dapat manatiling pag-mamay-ari ng mga tao sa lipunan”, NCECCO Secretary General Masongsong said.
The forum also tackled several issues concerning the electric cooperatives such as (1) take-over threats of private-for-profit corporations on the franchise of electric cooperatives, (2) non-payment or delays in payment to electric cooperatives on pole relocation projects, (3) appeal for reconsideration of the computation of transmission charges by National Grid Corporation of the Philippines, (4) delay in the resolution of cases and applications of the electric cooperatives with Energy Regulatory Commission, (5) renewal of franchise of the ECs, and (6) ultra vires acts of our government regulators, including but not limited to appointment of General Managers and appointment of NEA Representative in EC Board of Directors (BODs).
Senator Risa Hontiveros conveyed her unequivocal support to the Movement and emphasized the role of member-consumer-owners in an “energy democracy” which will be part of her energy agenda as she seeks re-election to the Senate.
“Noon pa man, tinututulan na natin ang pagtakeover ng mga pribadong korporasyon partikular na sa hanay ng mga electric cooperatives lalo na’t patuloy nitong pwedeng patayin ang mga kooperatiba. Hindi natin ito papayagan dahil kayo ang katuwang namin sa pagkakaroon ng mas mura at accessible na kuryente para sa lahat. Hindi tayo papayag sa ganid at interes ng iilan. Ang pinaka-importante sa akin ay ang pagkakaroon ng “energy democracy”, ang pagpapalakas ng MCOs ang isang kritikal na elemento nito”, Sen. Risa said.
Senator Sherwin “Win” Gatchalian, Senate Committee on Energy Chair, touched upon the renewal of the franchises of the electric cooperatives which will expire in the next ten years. The senator vowed to be the voice of the cooperatives when it comes to legislation in the Senate and ensured that “he will not allow politics” to get in the way of handling these issues because he believes “it is not fair to the consumers, electric cooperatives, and energy sector as a whole”.
“Kung merong Senador na galing sa hanay ng mga co-ops, mas malakas po ang boses dito sa Senado. Pero habang wala pa, ang aking pangako sa inyo, ako ang magiging boses ninyo. At ang pangako ko sa inyo, ako ang magiging kaalyado ninyo sa Senado”, Sen. Gatchalian said.
The next resource speaker was former House Senior Deputy Minority Leader Atty. Neri Colmenares.
Atty. Colmenares, also a Senatorial candidate, expressed his commitment to focus on NGCP’s computation of transmission charge from peak demand approach to consumption-based approach and noted that NGCP has been “getting away with this miscalculation for a long time”. Another issue he touched on is the imposition VAT and other forms of taxes in electricity, water, and fuel.
“Ang VAT ay value-added. Pag pumunta ka sa palengke at bumili ka ng T-shirt, e di nagbayad ka ng VAT – at least may inuwi kang T-shirt! E etong systems loss, anong inuwi mo, loss nga e, tapos mag-va-VAT ka? Anong klaseng gobyerno ka, pati loss ng consumer i-va-VAT mo,” Atty. Colmenares pointed out.
The forum was facilitated by the Philippine Rural Electric Cooperatives Association, the umbrella organization of 121 electric cooperatives nationwide. ###
