NO MORE BROWNOUTS IN ILOILO CITY!

This is the united position of Ilonggos against the series of brownouts of the Panay Electric Company. It is our belief that PECO's lack of supply of electricity is incoherent with how the City Government's response or reason for the blackouts. We believe that PECO is deliberately causing all these blackouts to condition the minds of the people that there is indeed this lack of electricity supply for the City of Iloilo. However, studies have shown that the province and the entire island of Panay is well equipped with the amount of electricity needed. Furthermore, we believe that it is the government's prime duty to defend the people's interest of ensuring STABLE and AFFORDABLE electricity to ensure economic development for the city.

However, it is our dismay that the City's response on the consecutive brownouts is the soon-to-be operation of the Coal Fired Power Plant owned by the Global Business Corporation and its sister company Panay Electric Development Corporation (PEDC). The Coal Fired Powed Plant is NOT THE ANSWER to the series of brownouts in the city. We believe further that the the Coal Fired Power Plant is the main reason why PECO is arbitrarily arresting the problem brownouts in the city. It is in the insinuation of PECO and the CITY GOVERNMENT that because of the brownouts, the Coal Fired Power Plant will resolve this problem. But we firmly believe that the so-called "lack of electricity" can be resolved IF THE GOVERNMENT IS SINCERE ENOUGH TO ARREST THE PROBLEM OF BROWNOUTS! The City Government should not play as lame ducks, sitting and waiting for a business enterprise to invest on the electric problems of the city. Instead, the City Government should be the one leading the investments of providing STABLE and AFFORDABLE electricity for the people. The Coal Fired Power Plant is not the solution. A mere P2.00 reduction on the price of electricity is NOT ENOUGH to COMPENSATE the health risks it brings to the PEOPLE OF ILOILO CITY!

Hence, it is our belief that the EPIRA LAW (Electric Power Industry Reform Act) is the main culprit why this government and PECO is so mediocre in resolving the problem of black outs in the city. Because of the EPIRA LAW, the government cannot intervene in directly investing for alternative sources of energy, instead, it promotes the role of Independent Power Producers (IPP)in providing electricity to the city. We can recall that before the EPIRA LAW was enacted, the National Power Corporation has the mandate in supplying electricity to PECO, this is manifested with the cheaper cost of electricity and stable supply. But since the inception of EPIRA LAW, IPP's started supplying electricity to PECO leading to its momentary privatization. In effect, the cost of electricity went high as much as P12.00 kw/h at the expense of poor quality service and consecutive blackouts.

And so, it is our belief and our legitimate demand to scrap the EPIRA LAW and that the government should ACT IN CONSCIENCE not to allow the operation of the Coal Fired Power Plant. Rather, this government should provide better renewable sources of energy at cheaper cost. This government should lead the people in calling for the immediate nationalization of the power industry rather than abandoning its responsibility in providing security for the basic commodities of the people.

NO MORE BROWNOUTS/BLACKOUTS! NO TO EXPENSIVE ELECTRICITY!
NO TO COAL FIRED POWER PLANT! NO TO PECO's MISMANAGED ELECTRICITY DISTRIBUTION! SCRAP THE EPIRA LAW! NATIONALIZE THE POWER INDUSTRY!

If all these demands are not met by the city government, rest assured that we, the people of Iloilo City, will wage war against their INUTILE PUBLIC SERVICE!