The absence of the main personalities in the controversial sales contract between the Central Negros Electric Cooperative and the KEPCO-Salcon Power Corp. gave oppositors ample time to present their cases before the hearing of House Committee on Energy led by Rep. Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo (Pampanga, 2nd District) at the Social Hall of the Provincial Capitol in Bacolod City yesterday afternoon.

“As far as I’m concerned, this is a venue to give oppositors a chance to say something,” Arroyo said, but added, “We’ll hold them accountable for their absence.”

Expected to show up were CENECO president Roberto Montelibano and officials of KSPC and National Power Corp., the current power supplier of CENECO.

But Montelibano, who had earlier sent notice that he has prior commitment, sent only representatives from CENECO – Leomel Tambanillo, chief of Corporate Planning and Utility Economics Division, and Jose Tadlas, head of Utility Economics Section.

Nobody from KSPC and NPC appeared, although NPC president Cyril del Callar informed Arroyo over the phone in the middle of the hearing that he sent a representative from Cebu who apparently failed to come.

The public hearing was an offshoot of House Resolution 321, authored by Rep. Jose Carlos Lacson (Neg.Occ., 3rd District), directing the Arroyo committee to conduct an inquiry, in aid of legislation, on the anomalies in the approval of the power sales between CENECO and KSPC.

KSPC will build a 200-megawatt coal-fired power plant in Naga, Cebu to supply electricity to CENECO and other electric cooperatives in the Visayas starting 2011.

Bacolod Rep. Monico Puentevella said he regrets the absence of Montelibano because what was being discussed in the hearing was a “very big power problem.”

He also said that other committee members even came from Mindanao like Sultan Kudarat Rep. Arnulfo Go, Misamis Oriental Rep. Yevgeny Vincente Emano and Compostela Valley Rep. Rommel Amatong to attend the hearing.

“Who will answer (the questions)? The main characters are not here. I’m very disappointed,” he said.

Rep. Jeffrey Ferrer (Neg. Occ., 4th District) suggested that the Committee on Energy subpoena the officials of the agencies who were absent yesterday for them to attend the next hearing.

Arroyo said he accepts the apology of CENECO officials for their absence. “But it’s every unfortunate we’ll not be able to hear the defense of CENECO.”

OPPOSITORS

Anti-coal advocate Romana de los Reyes of the Visayas for Renewable Energy were among the oppositors who came and reiterated her reasons in rejecting the CENECO-KSPC power sales contract.

De los Reyes, a CENECO consumer from Bago City, raised legal, economic and environmental issues. For the latter, she refuted the claim of KSPC that it will use clean coal technology which, she believes, is a “dirty lie.”

She also said that Negrenses prefer renewable energy, citing the rejections by communities and councils of Bago, Talisay, Silay, Pulupandan and Bacolod of coal-fired, bunker-fueled and diesel power plants.

De los Reyes said alternatives to KSPC coal-fired power plant are geothermal, bagasse and wind sources in Negros Island.

The Freedom from Debt Coalition-Negros, represented by secretary-general Esperanza Resus, among others, asked the Arroyo Committee to advise Montelibano to cancel CENECO’s power contract with KSPC and withdraw their application for the approval of the contract from the Energy Regulatory Commission.

An ERC representative said the application of CENECO and KSPC is still pending with the Commission.

The Bagong Alyansang Makabayan and GABRIELA, in its position paper, said the contract is highly questionable and is grossly disadvantageous to consumers as it binds CENECO to the more expensive electricity with the yet to be constructed coal-fired plant.

Others who aired their oppositions during the four-hour hearing attended by about 200 people were Councilor Jocelle Batapa-Sigue, representing the Bacolod City Council, one of the intervenors in the CENECO-KSPC application; Silay City consumer Romeo Lavilla, sugar planter Luis Mirasol Jr., SEACREST Foundation head Violeta Lopez-Gonzaga, lawyer Alex Espino, and Board Member Nehemias de la Cruz, represented by Victorias City consumer Eleanor Cabanilla.

Also present were mayors from CENECO’s coverage area – Esteban Coscolluela of Murcia, Ramon Torres of Bago City, Esteban Eric Saratan of Talisay City and Jose Montelibano of Silay, with Bacolod Vice Mayor Jude Thaddeus Sayson.

Mayor Montelibano said utilizing renewable energy is a nice dream, but the communities under CENECO need progress and with it, comes the need for power.

“The alternatives are very limited. We have to be realistic,” he said, adding that in the case of Silay, which experiences five brownouts a day, they need a stable power supply because more investors are now coming to their city.

COMMITTEE DECISION

Arroyo said his committee will study the proposals from the groups who have aired their positions during the hearing.

“We’ll study them. We are a collegial body. We’ll decide as a committee,” he said.

The solon said that those who believe there are irregularities in the CENECO-KSPC contract or that decisions have been made that are contrary to law, can go to court. “Once they declare this illegal, then we can perform our oversight functions even to nullify such an agreement.”

He said the conduct of another hearing will also be decided by committee.

Lacson, for his part, said: “I am not judging. I am questioning so hopefully, they (ERC) will hold on, and not decide (on the CENECO-KSPC application) yet.”*NLG

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