Consumers demand transparency from power, water firms

By Ben Serrano

BUTUAN City––A group of consumers have called on the Butuan City Water District (BCWD) and the Agusan del Norte Electric Cooperative (Aneco) to be transparent and accountable.

During a forum organized at the regional office of the Department of Trade and Industry said it was time for BCWD and Aneco executives to realize the transparency and openness were needed to ensure good service.

General managers of the two public utility firms––Horacio Santos of Aneco and BCWD’s Anselmo Sangtian––were a no-show during the Friday forum.

Butuanon Consumador president Igmedio Tidalgo criticized Aneco for merely sending a retiree and consultant to represent he firm during the forum.

“No one can answer all our questions except the Aneco general manager himself,” Tidalgo said.

Councilor-elect Sergio Pascual, a known consumers’ advocate, said Aneco should go public with its financial statements before it could impose a power rate increase.

“I’m a ‘Triple A’ and I am having difficulties because of the rising costs. How much more for the ordinary workers whose salaries are still the same until now? And now, the utility firms want people to pay more,” said Pascual.

Aneco spokesperson Edgar dela Cena confirmed that the firm was seeking a nine-centavo increase for every kilowatt hour of power.

The group demanded to see financial statements from Aneco and BCWD and for their executives to explain and justify the many charges reflected in the electric and water bills.