Return of Ecija power urged; Congress probe on corruption pushed

PANTABANGAN, Nueva Ecija -- Partylist Rep. Teddy Casiño urged the provincial government of Nueva Ecija and the National Electrification Administration last week to temporarily take over the town-owned Pantabangan Municipal Electric Service (PMES) and facilitate the return of electricity in this municipality that had been cut off for more than a week due to unpaid power bills.

At the same time, Casiño, who personally visited this town Tuesday despite heavy rains, said he will initiate an investigation in Congress about allegations of corruption in the town's electric cooperative.

Casiño also asked Pantabangan Mayor Romeo Borja Sr. to explain the town's failure to settle more than P80 million in power bills that had been unpaid despite the residents religiously paying their electric bills.

“Apparently PMES was mismanaged and the consumers do not know where their payments went. We in Congress will also consider the allegations of corruption when we take up the franchise renewal of the local cooperative,” said Casiño.

In the meantime, he appealed to First Gen Hydro Power Corp. (FGHPC) to return power to the town pending the entry of a third party. FGHPC operates the Pantabangan-Masiway hydroelectric complex.

Beginning last Monday, FGHPC cut off the power supply to the town-owned Pantabangan Municipal Electric Service which serves eight of the 14 barangays of Pantabangan and Alfonso Castañeda towns in Nueva Ecija.

“It is ironic that Pantabangan hosts First Gen HPC and it has no power. We call on First Gen to heed the demands of the people for the restoration of electricity under a new arrangement as the provincial government and NEA work out the means to settle the matter, Casiño said.

It has been done in Albay before and it can also be done here. It is not the fault of the consumers and they should not be made to suffer for the mismanagement of their leaders,” Casiño said.