Thus, said an emotional Mayor Joselito Naguit here on Wednesday as he gave his side on the issue of alleged non-payment of the municipality’s electric bill amounting to a staggering P27 million that led to the cutting off of electricity by the Pampanga Electric Cooperative III (Pelco-3).
Naguit, now serving his last term as chief executive of this town, will step down from office in less than two weeks. He lamented that why it was only now that Pelco-3 suddenly cut off electric power and demanded payment when the public utility company has not even settled its tax obligations to them?
Naguit also wondered why the town’s electric bill suddenly went down to P15 million when the local government unit (LGU) only paid P1.4 million to Pelco-3?
“What’s the story behind it?” he wondered. “How did they account for the balance when the street lights have no electric meters? By guess work? Flat rate?”
The outgoing mayor explained that the sangguniang bayan did not approve the budget for street lights because Pelco-3 refused to pay its tax obligations to the LGU since 2002 which have now accumulated to more or less P8 million.
Naguit clarified that there are no missing funds.
The mayor ruled out politics in the controversy but singled out Pelco-3 director Eddie Raquiz as setting him up and plotting to destroy his reputation because of a personal grudge.
Naguit recalled that at one time he scolded Raquiz for cutting the electricity of the house of a certain Apeng Deang of Barangay San Matias despite the plea of the latter because they were caring for a sick family member. That is why he is harboring a personal grudge against me, he said.
Naguit asked the people who trooped to the town hall Wednesday to support him: “Will we allow Pelco-3 to get away with their tax obligations?
“Papamayaran tala pu (Let’s make them pay),” blurted a woman in the audience.
“My question to you is…Why is it only now that they are bringing this up…?” Naguit said as he choked on his words after being overcome with emotions.
“Kekayu pu kabalen, nung misakripisyu pu ing kekayung kaligtasan at katahimikan anyaran ku pu ing kapagpasensyan (To you my town mates, if your safety has been sacrificed and your peace has been compromised I asked for your understanding),” the mayor said.
Just a few days ago, Pelco-3 cut-off power to 437 street lights plunging the town into darkness and causing a stir among the residents.
The mayor’s legal counsel, Atty. Francisco Macalino III said Pelco-3 is liable for cutting the electricity to the street lights because it compromised the safety of the people.
Macalino cited the Magna Carta for Residential Consumers of Electricity which provides that power utility companies should not cut-off electricity when the safety of the people is compromised or when the life of a person will be at risk.
Macalino also said the tax obligation of Pelco-3 might still balloon because a recent Supreme Court decision in the case of Meralco vs. City Assessor and City Treasurer of Lucena City ruled that all electric posts, meters, transmission lines or transformers of an electric cooperative or company are taxable because these are considered machineries which are taxable as real property tax other than the business tax that were left unpaid.
Macalino said a previous agreement between the LGU and Pelco-3 that there should be an offsetting of their respective obligations was violated.
He explained that in the legal parlance, “you should come to court with clean hands,” which means Pelco-3 has no right to cut-off the electric power of the LGU because they have their own tax obligations to settle.
Meanwhile, Naguit vowed to guard all electric posts in the town so that Pelco-3 will be prevented from cutting their electricity again. He said they will make Pelco-3 accountable in court and send them a demand letter to pay their tax obligations.
