CENPELCO’s unfair practice

By Eva C. Visperas

No, I would not complain here about perennial unannounced power interruptions. I’m used to that.

It was October 27 and I wondered why no electric billing from Central Pangasinan Electric Cooperative (CENPELCO) for my house in Binmaley has arrived yet.

Every middle of the month, billings for water, cellular phones, landline, and cable television come in succession. But CENPELCO’s remained undelivered as of that date prompting me to give more cash than my average monthly billing in order to pay my power bill. I just surmised the billing was ready but undelivered maybe due to tight schedule of its collectors. (Modesty aside, we were taught by our dad to pay our obligations on time and never to live on debts).

Well, Kuya Cedy, my eldest brother who helped me settle my bill for the month, reported that I was charged P50 penalty and another P6 for other items (?) for allegedly paying late.

“Whaaaat? Did I hear you right?” I asked him, my voice trembling in anger.

He, too, was mad and protested but couldn’t do anything as the collector named Diosdado Padlan demanded payment on his unfair “verdict”, penalizing me for his failure to deliver  the billing to me on time. He actually passed on to me the cost of his inefficiency.  Ang tindi mo naman, boss!

Worse, there was no proof that the billing was delivered to my house. Normally, a separate sheet of paper itemizing how the total amount was arrived at indicates who received the billing (with signature of course), when it is due, etc. Since no paper was given me or to anyone in the house to receive, Diosdado obviously could not show my brother of any proof yet he insisted his decision was like that of the Supreme Court’s final and executory. He even asked my Kuya to talk to him outside the office.

Well, I have questions for you. Did you detach that important sheet of paper from my billing so you can make it appear you delivered it, and justify your wrong act? Come on, Boy, honesty is the best policy.

Hey, Diosdado, you must be out of your mind! Better, look at my records in CENPELCO and you will see that I should even be rewarded for having paid my bills promptly, always. You have a diligent customer (under the name Eva de Leon), willing and ready to pay her dues even in the absence of a billing because she fears that the CENPELCO collector might have overlooked the prompt delivery of her billing statement.

The amount of penalty is negligible. But I am not about to just close my eyes to this unfair collection practice. If I were at fault, I readily will yield to it but, in this instance, I challenge the people of CENPELCO, the Binmaley manager especially, whoever he or she is, to investigate and act promptly to better serve their customers.

Actually this was not the first time CENPELCO tried this illegal collection on me. Another stupid collector committed the same error but I argued. I won my case.

By the way, I have seen how some people in your office have complained and shouted at your paying customers for not giving them the exact amount.

I also recall how a female CENPELCO employee in San Carlos City extorted money from me when I applied for electric connection. She asked me to give her more than the required amount, to fast track the processing (kuno!). But the extortionist wasn’t smart enough. I asked her to sign a piece of paper for receiving the amount (just for my personal record, I said). She willingly did. Bingo! The next time around she came to me at the radio station where I then worked, to apologize. I told her to talk to my lawyer.

If CENPELCO wants to raise money, why not go after your customers who use jumpers (to minimize electric consumption or those with illegal connections with the blessing of some of your employees. Ang dami diyan! You need not look far.

(For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/business-log/)

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