A PROPOSAL to create a multi-sectoral public utilities coordination board to monitor the compliance of contractors is being lobbied by the 20th City Council’s committee on public safety, transport, and communications.
“Representatives of (Cagayan Electric Power and Light Co.) discussed during our committee meeting (last Wednesday) their concern in which (they were obligated to settle the expenses incurred in the death) of a bao-bao (tricycle) driver and his passenger who were electrocuted in Barangay Puerto,” said Councilor Romeo Calizo in Visayan.
Calizo, who chairs the committee, referred to a Jan. 27 incident in which two persons died due to electrocution after one of Cepalco’s posts fell on them.
During last Wednesday’s committee hearing, Cepalco’s head of line planning and management department Rodel Ricardo Mansueto recounted there was an ongoing canal construction at the time and the contractor failed to coordinate with them.
“There were cases before in which there’s construction done within the power line corridor of Cepalco….before the building owners and contractors secure their building permit, they should seek clearance from the power line owner or in this case Cepalco to determine (if their construction activities) can be hazardous or have consequences (to the public),” Mansueto said.
The proposal for an ordinance creating a public utilities coordination board was broached by Councilor James Judith II, who said contractors and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) chose to ignore the local government whenever they were implementing their projects.
“All projects involving the city’s streets and roads should pass through this board,” Judith said in Visayan.
Councilor Roger Abaday said the creation of the board is ‘timely’ in order to call the attention of contractors whose unattended projects greatly inconvenienced the public.
“It’s not good for the local government to do nothing while their constituents complain…the board will oversee the compliance of these contractors (so these contractors won’t forget their obligations to the city),” Calizo said. (Stephen Capillas of City Information Office)
