Bukidnon electric coop abdicated sworn duties

Last Aug. 8, knowing its importance, I, together with the officers and members of Bukidnon Transport Multipurpose Cooperative, attended the public hearing on the joint application for the approval of the Electric Power Purchase Agreement between First Bukidnon Electric Cooperative (Fibeco) and FDC Misamis Power Corp. and for the issuance of provisional authority for a power supply contract for 35 megawatts at P5.60/kWh (ERC Case No. 2014-097).

During the hearing, we were all surprised that not a single Fibeco director or official was present, not even the general manager. We were told that they were all in Manila, attending a conference of their association, the Philippine Rural Electric Cooperatives Association Inc.

I simply cannot understand how these Fibeco officials could be so irresponsible that they should choose to attend a conference in Manila rather than the public hearing on their own application for additional power supply to help ensure that no power outages would plague Fibeco’s franchise area. Their absence showed how little they regard the interest of coop member-consumers.

To us, their presence in that hearing was very important, as they could have helped clarify why they were applying for a generation rate of P 5.60/kWh when the National Power Corporation’s rate was only P 2.96/kWh; even GNPOWER’s was only P 4.19/kWh, as revealed in the public hearing we also attended in June 2014.

The absence of the Fibeco officials became even more contemptible owing to the presence of a commissioner of the Energy Regulatory Commission, who traveled all the way from Manila to conduct the public hearing.

Their absence was a clear manifestation of their utter lack of regard for their sworn duties and responsibilities as well-compensated Fibeco officials, and it was tantamount to an abdication of their duties.

We strongly recommend that the Fibeco officials be severely dealt with by the National Electrification Administration which has the sole power to impose disciplinary action, suspend, remove and replace all erring officers and employees of an electric cooperative, pursuant to Presidential Decree No. 1645.

Now, we know for sure why there is a Mindanao power crisis.

—RUPERTO U. BAGUIO,

member-consumer, Fibeco,

and chair, CDP Third District,

Bukidnon