Consumers have been assured by both Panay Electric Company (PECO) and MORE Electric and Power Corporation (MORE Power) that electricity services in Iloilo City will not be affected by the ongoing takeover of distribution assets.

Assisted by a group of police officers in riot gear, court sheriffs enforced on Friday morning, Feb. 28, a court order allowing MORE Power, a new power firm owned by billionaire Enrique Razon Jr.,” to take over PECO’s assets.

The order, which was issued by the Iloilo City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 23, reiterated the grant of a writ of possession (WOP) to MORE Power.

In a press conference, MORE Power president Roel Castro said “there will be no disruptions as far as the delivery of power services are concerned.”

“Technical personnel who are working now will not be taken out.We’ll have somebody from MORE Power to oversee.”

Castro said they will undertake the operation even without a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) from the Energy Regulation Commission (ERC).

According to him, they have already complied with the requirements and they expect the issuance by next week.

“As far as ERC is concerned, they said its okay. Next week they will have a commission meeting so that will be taken up….few days of no CPCN is not a problem,” said Castro.

In an interview over radio station RMN-Iloilo, Marcelo Cacho, PECO administrative manager, reiterated their commitment to Iloilo City and its people that they will continue to operate to avoid a city-wide blackout.

“Ang commitment ni PECO ara guihapon. We will continue to operate,” he said.

But if MORE Power will forcibly take over their facilities and operation, Cacho said: “Wala na kami may maubra dira.”

“Kon wala may mataya sa amon pusil indi man kami ya magguwa sa operation, diri lang kami sa guihapon kag continue ang serbisyo,” he added

Hours after Cacho’s interview, PECO posted an update on its official Facebook page.

The power firm said MORE Power “stationed personnel in their switchboard and meter lab facilities.”

“As of now our trouble call hotlines in relation to restoring power interruptions cannot get through the switchboard because MORE Power’s personnel has shut off our internet connection and disallowed our switchboard personnel from working accordingly.”

“As much as we would like to serve our valued consumers, MORE Power is not allowing us to do so and our trouble shooters and line teams cannot get any instructions from our switchboard.”

MORE Power is the new franchise holder for power distribution utility in the city. In Feb. last year, President Rodrigo Duterte signed a law granting a 25-year franchise to the power firm.

On the other hand, PECO’s franchise expired on Jan. 19, 2019. It failed to get the approval of Congress to extend its franchise.IMT

Aerial photo of Iloilo City by Dive n Drone