No More Deterrent to MORE Power Expansion

By Herbert Vego

FINALLY, there is no more stumbling block to the authority of MORE Electric and Power Corporation (MORE Power) to expand its electricity distribution services beyond Iloilo City to 15 Iloilo municipalities and the component city of Passi.

In a recently-promulgated decision, the Supreme Court (SC) denied the motion for reconsideration filed by Iloilo Electric Cooperative I (ILECO I) and the Philippine Rural Electric Cooperatives Association (PHILRECA) questioning the legality of its franchise expansion under Republic Act No. 11918, enacted in July 2022.

I agree that it was prim and proper for the Supreme Court to dismiss with finality the ILECO’s claim that the law is unconstitutional for being violative of the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA).

The Court reaffirmed that public utility franchises are not exclusive and that Congress, through its legislative powers, may amend or expand franchises to prioritize the general welfare.

Therefore, as stated by MORE Power President/CEO Roel Z. Castro, “This ruling is a victory for consumers who have been waiting for two years to access modern, reliable, and efficient electric service.”

The expansion of MORE Power’s franchise (R. A. No. 11918) outside of Iloilo City was not a whimsical law passed by Congress. It was in response to the clamor of residents of Passi City and the 15 municipalities of Alimodian, Anilao, Banate, Barotac Nuevo, Dingle, Dueñas, Dumangas, Leganes, Leon, New Lucena, Pavia, San Enrique, San Miguel, Santa Barbara and Zarraga.

No less than their local officials had asked Congress to grant MORE Power the extension of its franchise area because of their constituents’ complaints on the inability of ILECO to satisfy their need for efficient service.

The expansion of MORE Power’s franchise, however, does not mean deprivation of ILECO’s territory. It simply means that its customers now have the option of staying or straying.

Anyway, the 15 municipalities are not all there is to the province of Iloilo. The other 27 remain serviced by any of the three branches of ILECO.

The SC ruling opens the way for MORE Power to roll out expansion of power distribution in a period of four to five years, focusing on upgrading infrastructure.

Without a healthy competition in the energy distribution sector, electricity consumers pay for higher cost but reap dissatisfaction over poor services.

This used to be the price that consumers of Central Negros Electric Cooperative (Ceneco) in Bacolod City and suburbs used to pay until it partnered with MORE Power under a new name, Negros Electric and Power Corporation (Negros Power).

One recalls that Ceneco had been suffering from operational losses ranging from ₱20 to ₱30 million a month on top of ₱613 million in accumulated loans from the National Electrification Administration (NEA) and various banks.

Voila! Wala nang loan!

-oOo-

WHAT A SENATOR JUDGE OUGHT NOT BE

SENATOR Joel Villanueva, donning a judge’s robe, was the worst example of what an impeachment judge ought not be as he openly sided with impeached Vice President Sara Duterte.  Like one of the 18 senator judges who voted to remand her case to the House of Representatives, he played the role of an instigator.

As widely shown online, it was he who dictated Sen. Imee Marcos to shout “Point of order” while senator-judge Risa Hontiveros was on the floor advocating for an immediate trial of VP Sara and disagreeing with senator-judge Bato dela Rosa’s motion to dismiss the case.

Joel Villanueva stained his image as a preacher of the Jesus Is Lord Church (JIL), which his father Eddie Villanueva (now a party -list congressman) founded in 1978.

So now I regret having attended JIL services at the Chinese Garden, Rizal Park, in that and succeeding years.

Alas, the Villanueva family has made use of religion to establish a political dynasty. A brother of Joel, Jonjon, is mayor of Bocaue, Bulacan; his brother in-law Sherwin Tugna is vice-mayor.

They love to quote the Bible.

I, too, remember some verses, such as this from Matthew 7:15 which says, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.”