PECO asks ERC to revoke rival's permit to operate

Power distribution utility firm Panay Electric Co. (PECO) has appealed to the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to revoke the authority to operate granted to its rival,  Razon-led More Electric and Power Corp. (MORE).

In a motion for reconsideration filed before the ERC, PECO said the ERC should revoke the provisional Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) issued to MORE as it was not supported by verified documents.

"Considering that MORE has yet to present any proof that indeed it is financially and technically capable of operating an electric distribution system in Iloilo City, it was premature for the Honorable Commission to have granted MORE with a Provisional Authority," said PECO.

In a March 5, 2020 order, the ERC revoked the CPCN issued to PECO, as it said that MORE had established or acquired its own distribution system, and verified MORE's complete transition to full operations.

According to PECO, it was "inaccurate and misleading" on MORE's part to claim before the ERC that it had already taken over full control and operations of utilities in Iloilo.

This comes as a court directed the revision of the operations to PECO at least until the hearing set  on March 20.

"Even assuming without conceding that MORE had indeed taken full control of the operations of the electric distribution system in Iloilo, the same does not ipso facto equate to technical capability as would enable MORE to actually operate the same," PECO said.

Under such argument, PECO said the ERC should reinstate its CPCN and revoke that of MORE. —LDF, GMA News