MORE NEWS, PANGASINAN

P’sinan town hall, PNP power supply cut, restored over debt
BY JERRY PADILLA

MALASIQUI, Pangasinan – The Central Pangasinan Electric Coop. cut off power supply to the town hall, police station, public market and plaza here afternoon on Aug. 17 due to the municipal government’s failure to pay more than P7 million in electric bills.

But after five days, power supply was restored in the municipal building after the mayor paid a partial amount of P352,616.33 to the Central Pangasinan Electric Cooperative for arrears accumulated over a two-year period.

Engineer Ramil Cruz, CENPELCO manager, said Mayor Armando Domantay made the partial payment after office work resumed Aug. 21 so electric power in the town hall, police station building, plaza, public market and street lights can be restored.

On Aug. 17, CENPELCO cut off the power supply at the municipal government building for its failure to settle the electric bill, which has ballooned to more than P9 million, including penalties, over the years.

The payment made by the mayor was only for the electric consumption for the month of July, Cruz said

“Nothing personal. I was just doing my job for CENPELCO,” said Cruz.

Cruz said the local government owed the electric cooperative P9.3 million in arrears from June 2005 to July this year, plus interest.

Cruz said he wanted to show the people that no one was above the law. He said people complained to their office when they disconnected power supply in residences or buildings for unpaid bills for a month or two month only, while the local government units owed them P7 million plus yet enjoyed continuous power supply.

He said they sent the first notice of disconnection last June 15 and the second one on July 28.

After the receipt of the first disconnection notice, Gov. Amado Espino Jr. has appealed for reconsideration.

A month later, however, the bills were still unpaid, prompting Cruz to order his men to execute the disconnection at the offices of the local government unit.

Mayor Amando Domantay told local newsmen he felt “embarrassed and insulted” by the incident as he is very new in the job.

“In my 50 years in Malasiqui, this is the first time that electricity was cut in our town buildings due to unpaid electric bills,” Domantay said. “I will do my best to remedy this situation. We are not turning our back on our debts. But I hope they will also understand that I have just inherited these dues.”

He said he will ask for a comprehensive audit of the local government funds under the previous administration as there was an annual appropriation of P1.5 million for electric consumption.

Former mayor Alfonso Soriano, who served the town for nine years, said that two years ago, there was agreement between local governments units in areas serviced by CENPELCO and the electric cooperative management for the computation of CENPELCO’s taxes in exchange for the electric consumption of the local government units.

However, the off-setting scheme that was originally agreed upon didn’t push through because of the change in administration.

He also clarified that the annual P1.5 million electric bill appropriation in their town budget is untouched.

He said he was wondering why for the past two years under his administration, no disconnection was ever made despite the growing arrears.

He said he is not afraid of any audit as he is not hiding anything.


3 farmers killed in Umingan shootout
UMINGAN, Pangasinan – Three farmers were killed while another survived when they were fired upon by unidentified masked gunmen morning of Aug 19. in Barangay Cabalayangan here.

Police identified the fatalities as Delfin Maiquez, 6; Fher Saladino, 37; and Rudy Melano, of Poblacion West in the town.

The fourth victim, who escaped and was able to report the incident to the police, was Angelito Serbo, 33, also of Umingan.
Based on initial investigation, the victims were on their way to a hut aboard a hand tractor when they were shot at by the still unidentified gunmen.

Maiquez, Saladino, and Melano, who sustained multiple bullet wounds, were rushed to a hospital but were declared dead on arrival. – Jerry Padilla