The National Electrification Administration wants to expand its authority over all power distribution utilities, and not just electric cooperatives.
NEA administrator Edgardo Masongsong called on all electric cooperatives under the agency’s supervision to support the legislative agenda.
Masongsong in a statement asked the general managers of the electric cooperatives to help him lobby with Congress to widen NEA’s mandate by putting private investors-owned utilities and private distribution utilities under the agency’s charge as well.
“As National Electrification Authority, there should only be one authority to supervise all DUs whether you are electric cooperative or you are private,” he said during the 20th National Conference of the National Association of General Managers of Electric Cooperatives.
“Maybe we can do that especially (now) that we have a President who is pro-people, pro-electricity consumers. Maybe this is the time for us to lobby that we will have one agency supervising all DUs,” Masongsong said.
The NEA official asked the electric cooperatives to endorse the re-filing of House Bill 6080, which seeks to modify the qualifications for, and create a screening committee in the election or appointment of their directors and officers.
President Rodrigo Duterte vetoed bill in July 2016 before Masongsong was appointed at the NEA.
President Duterte in a latter dated July 20, 2016 to the Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives, said he “considers the proposed amendments not necessary at this time.”
“The law which the bill seeks to amend has just been fully implemented through various circulars of the Department of Energy. Thus, prudent policy dictates that the law must be given ample time to develop and effect the reforms it seeks to institute,” the Duterte said.
“The proposed Act must yield the greater objective of professionalizing the leadership of the electric cooperatives. This early, Republic Act No. 10531 has already had notable impact on how the electric cooperatives currently operate. Those gains should not be allowed to regress”, he said.
