Freedom from Debt Coalition-Iloilo Chapter has lauded the five governors of Western Visayas for their stand against the establishment of the proposed 164-MW coal-fired power plant of Global Business Power Corporation, the owner of Panay Power Corporation.
"We commend the collective stand of our governors in rejecting the construction of the coal plant. Its effort is for the protection of the greater good - the interest of the thousands of electricity consumers in Iloilo City under Panay Electric Company," said lawyer Romeo Gerochi, chairperson of FDC-Iloilo.
Gerochi added: "The entry of the coal plant will further aggravate what is already the most expensive electricity in the country today because of Peco and PPC's onerous power purchase agreement."
"The proponent is again promising cheap electricity, just like what they did in 1997 but its electricity rates have skyrocketed in such a short period, said Gerochi.
The FDC-Iloilo is among the numerous organizations that are opposed to the coal-fired power plant being proposed for construction in Barangay Ingore, La Paz district, in Iloilo City, by the GBPC, a subsidiary of Metrobank group of companies.
In its petition to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the five governors have warned of the dire consequences of the coal plant project to the environment and people's health.
"We are disturbed by the issuance of the ECC, as such; the governors urged the national leadership to revoke the Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) issued by Secretary Lito Atienza of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)," the governors said in a statement.
Among the governors who signed the petition are Governor Carlito Marquez of Aklan, Governor Victor Tanco Sr. of Capiz, Governor Isidro Zayco of Negros Occidental, and Governor Felipe Hilan Nava of Guimaras. The effort was led by Antique Governor Zalvacion Perez, a staunch renewable energy advocate, and the current chairperson of the Regional Development Council. - Sun Star Iloilo
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