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By LITO RULONA
Correspondent

PROVINCIAL board member Wayne Militante is pushing for a change in the management of the Misamis Oriental II Rural Electric Service Cooperative (Moresco II), citing its failure to ensure a stable supply of electricity in the eastern areas of the province.

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Militante said Moresco II is mismanaged and cash-strapped.

Militante and other lawmakers in the province are looking into the possibility of asking the Cagayan Electric Power and Light Co. (Cepalco) or the Misamis Oriental I Rural Electric Service Cooperative (Moresco I) to step in.

“It (Moresco II) can be taken over by another company. Dako nga puwerhisyo ang ilang nahatag sa ilang mga konsumedor. We can start it by passing a resolution, addressed to Energy Regulatory Commission,” Militante said.

He said the ERC should conduct an investigation, and see how its management could be replaced.

Aside from the frequent blackouts, consumers in the eastern parts of Misamis Oriental were being charged at unreasonable rates, said Militante.

In Gingoog City alone, some consumers who used to pay only P300 a month are being charged over  P1 thousand a month despite the crippling blackouts, he said.

“Mao nga mag-ampo na lamang kami nga magsige na lamang og brownout para wala na kami’y bayaran,” he said.

Last week, Moresco II general manager Ronel Cañada asked the provincial board until year-end to improve the power supply in areas covered by its franchise.

Cañada said Moresco II was forced to contract the services of King Energy to boost the power supply in eastern parts of the province because of a crisis in 2013. The situation forced Moresco II to increase the rate from P5 per kilowatt hour to P8 per kwh.

Cañada said it was a choice of paying more or no electricity at all.

But Militante said that when the power supply from the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) normalized, the rates should have been reduced.

“Unsay nahitabo naglukdo ang mga konsumedor sa kamahal sa kuryente,” Militante said.

Provincial board member Vincent Pelaez said he would draft a petition for the consumers to sign against Moresco II.

Pelaez proposed the gradual transfer of service areas like Balingasag, Jasaan and Claveria to Cepalco because it has a coal-fired power plant in eastern Misamis Oriental.

Cañada said he doubts if the proposal would materialize.

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