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The City Council on its regular session yesterday approved a resolution calling Districts 1 and 2 Representatives Isabelle Climaco Salazar and Erbie Fabian respectively to introduce amendments to the EPIRA Law in the House of Representatives.

Councilor Mel Sadain, who authored the resolution, disclosed some provisions in the EPIRA Law is detrimental to electric consumers especially the increase of the electric rates.

“The rates of electricity keeps increasing because of the EPIRA Law which encourages the government generation assets like the NAPOCOR and TRANSCO to be privatized. Many power barges owned by the government have already been sold to Aboitiz, Therma Marine Inc. and others that resulted to increase in the power rates because it is now owned by private companies,” Sadain said.   

The councilor said most of the government power controlled corporations have been sold to private entities “in effect we now depend on the private corporations to provide us with electricity at a higher rate because they are after money and profitability.”

Sadain hopes the two congressmen will be able to bring the council's edict calling for the review the EPIRA Law and put a stop as well as discourage privatization.

According to Sadain, President Noynoy Aquino and Department of Energy Secretary Alejandro Almendras during the power summit held in Davao City have suggested the privatization of the remaining government power corporations such as the hydro plants in Lanao.

“If the government will sell the remaining hydro plants then expect electric rates to continuously soar,” Sadain said.

by: Nonong Santiago