CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – “Saddened and dismayed.”
Thus, Mayor Vilma Balle-Caluag expressed her feelings over the Court of Appeals decision reversing the order of the Energy Regulatory Commission to the San Fernando Electric Light and Power Co. to refund P654,397,381 in disallowed charges and P1,769,924,493 in excess of the allowed power generation rates from 2014 to 2022.
In her message in Pilipino and English posted on the Facebook page of the city information office, Caluag called the decision “matinding dagok sa bawat Fernandino.”
This, even as she assured her constituents that “we will relentlessly pursue the rightful recourse to address this unjust decision.”
She recalled that in the second quarter of 2023, Sfelapco senior vice president and general manager Jose Lazatin, in a private meeting with her and Pampanga business leader Rene Romero and Sfelapco communications officer Irwin Nucum, agreed to the ERC order to refund the P654 million disallowed charges while declining the same with the P1.7 billion “as this will require court settlement.”
“Ito ay klarong pag-amin ng Sfelapco sa pag o-overcharge. Ngunit biglang nagbago ang desisyon ni Mr. Lazatin nang ito umano ay hindi napagkasunduan at ibinaliktad ng Sfelapco board ang nauna naming kasunduan ni Mr. Lazatin,” the mayor alleged in her message.
Of that ERC order, Caluag declared: “I want to emphatically highlight that the ERC’s initial decision to mandate Sfelapco to refund the overcharged amount, including the addedP1.7 billion, was a direct outcome of the interventions and relentless action taken by me, Mayor Vilma Caluag, on behalf of the LGU and the citizens of San Fernando. Had it not been for my representation with ERC and my appeal to Sen. Raffy Tulfo, this crucial development could not have happened.”
While expressing “regret” over the CA decision, Caluag said she remained hopeful that the motion for reconsideration filed by the Office of the Solicitor General on ERC’s behalf “will uphold the rights of consumers in the end.”
‘Moral victory’
Positive outlooks still abounded in the mayor “despite the disappointment” the CA order brought about.
“It is important to recognize that the ERC’s initial decision was a testament to the commitment and relentless efforts made by the local government under my leadership to uphold consumer protection and ensure fair procedures in the provision of essential services,” she noted. “The ERC’s decision is, in essence, a moral victory reflecting the determination and advocacy of the LGU on behalf of the citizens.”
The ERC decision, she furthered, also compelled Sfelapco to seek alternative power distribution sources and implement lower power rates. “This serves as a testament to the significant impact of the LGU’s intervention in promoting fair and competitive practices within the energy industry.” Punto News Team
