Panay Electric Company (PECO), Iloilo City’s current power distributor, is reviving its bid to renew its franchise.

A bill that seeks to renew PECO’s legislative franchise for another 25 years was refiled in the 18th Congress last Aug. 22.

Marcelo Cacho, PECO administrative manager, on Friday, Sept. 6, said the bill is sponsored by Representative Joseph Stephen Paduano of Abang Lingkod party-list.

Paduano was one of the co-authors of PECO’s 17th Congress version of the bill, which has been pending at the committee level since July 2017.

Cacho said the latest version of the bill has already been referred to the House Committee on Legislative Franchises. 

The PECO’s top official is confident that their application for renewal will hurdle Congress.

“To check all the franchises and the franchise of MORE (Power) may ara da section that says that franchises are non-exclusive so meaning you can have as many franchise holders in one area as possible. No limitation,” Cacho said.

MORE Power, a firm controlled by billionaire Enrique Razon Jr., secured a 25-year power distribution franchise after President Rodrigo Duterte signed Republic Act 11212 last February.

The law provides for a transition period allowing PECO to operate temporarily until MORE Power is in full operation. The period will not exceed to two years from the grant of legislative franchise.

PECO’s franchise expired last January. It is still operating under a provisional Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity issued by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC).

MORE Power and PECO are locked in a legal dispute over the right to distribute electricity in the city.

Meanwhile, lawyer Joshua Alim said: “Ila man na right after all wala man sang exclusivity ang franchise sang PECO and MORE.” 

Alim is one of the staunt critics of PECO. He is among those who filed a manifesto before the Senate to stop the renewal of PECO’s franchise last year.

The former city councilor urged the present city officials to do something to protect the consumers.

“I trust that the mayor of the city, the congresswoman of the city, vice mayor and the councilors. They have to do something para sa protection sang mga konsumidor so kaya nila, they can do something about that,” he said.IMT