Espino’s intervention sought
CENPELCO VS. SAN CARLOS LGU
LINGAYEN—The long-standing rift between the Central Pangasinan Electric Cooperative, Inc. (CENPELCO) and the San Carlos City local government unit (LGU) over payments and taxes has been brought before the provincial government for mediation.
CENPELCO Officer-in-Charge Rodrigo Corpuz, in a letter dated November 26, 2013, asked Governor Amado Espino Jr. to intervene in the case to “finally resolve the long pending tax claims.”
The Sangguniang Panlalawigan will also take up the matter during its question hour on December 16 with officials of both parties who have been invited to provide more background on the issue.
Corpuz said Cenpelco has had a series of meetings with San Carlos officials but could not reach a compromise over the more than P174 million in unpaid electricity bill of the city and the P4 million in property taxes that CENPELCO supposedly owes the local government.
“As much as possible, we do not want to take the drastic action of disconnecting the power supply of the local government of San Carlos City,” Corpuz wrote.
CENPELCO has proposed that while they are finalizing the reciprocal obligations between the company and San Carlos, “we will pay our current tax obligation to the city and in return, the city government should also pay their current electric bills”.
Corpuz said CENPELCO already started paying its tax obligations in 2013 based on the 2012 taxable receipts but the local government has not initiated any payment for its 2013 dues.
He added that the city’s non-payment of its obligations has “radically distressed the financial standing of CENPELCO”.
Meanwhile, Provincial Administrator Rafael Howard Baraan said in an interview last December 9 that he hopes the provincial government can help resolve the matter.
“I think this is just miscommunication…levelheaded minds can arrive at a mutually acceptable solution,” Baraan said.
San Carlos Mayor Julier Resuello has yet to respond to requests for comments at press time.— Johanne R. Macob and Eva Visperas
Share your Comments or Reactions
Powered by Facebook Comments
