A group of consumers of the V-M-C Rural Electric Service Cooperative Inc. has urged the Energy Regulatory Commission to enforce its final order, directing the VRESCO management to refund its consumers P18.222 million.

The Victorias Power Consumers for Reforms Inc., in a Feb. 7, 2007 letter to Chairman Rodolfo Albano, also asked the ERC to deny the motion for reconsideration filed by VRESCO. We believe the ERC remains our strongest ally in our quest for justice, VIPCOR said in the letter.

They added: "(T)he immediate implementation by VRESCO of this final order will greatly ease the financial burden of our consumers who are already heavily saddled with high power rates and other economic difficulties."

The ERC final order dated Sept. 20, 2006 directed VRESCO to refund its consumers the total amount of P18,222,153.76 or equivalent to an average rate of P0.3735 per kilowatt hour.

But on Dec. 27, 2006, the VRESCO management filed a clarification for motion for reconsideration and requested the ERC to defer and extend the period of its refund.

Through its counsel Zenon Suarez, the cooperative sought for the deferment of the refund implementation until after the receipt of its order clarifying the issues raised, claiming that a refund will lead to a financial crisis.

VRESCO also asked the ERC that the re-computed final rate reduction be implemented for a period of at least 60 months or five years.

VIPCOR said the move "is rather unexpected and smacks of dilatory tactics" considering that since ERC handed down its decision on July 9, 2004, VRESCO had already sought a reconsideration twice, on Aug. 20, 2004 and Oct. 7, 2004.*NLG

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