Almendras not remiss in his job, Palace says

MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang yesterday defended Energy Secretary Jose Rene Almendras, who was recently slapped with a civil suit in Kidapawan City for allegedly failing to solve the current power crisis in Mindanao.

“We are certain that Secretary Almendras will be able to settle these things (damage suit). He has not been remiss on his job,” presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda told state-run radio dzRB.  

Kidapawan Vice Mayor Joseph Evangelista sued Almendras, Froilan Tampinco of the National Power Corp. (Napocor), Power Sector Assets Liabilities and Management president Emmanuel Ledesma, and Energy Development Corp. (EDC) chief executive officer Richard Tantoco.

Evangelista blamed the officials for allegedly failing to act on their calls to allocate 25 percent of the output of the two multi-billion-peso geothermal power plants in Kidapawan’s 40 villages and the 17 municipalities of North Cotabato.

He filed the case as presiding chairman of the city council, where the city government wanted to compel the Department of Energy (DOE), Napocor and EDC, which is owned by the Lopez group of companies, to supply the city with power from the two power plants.

“The city is not asking for a direct supply line from the two facilities. We are only asking for our share from the power being generated by the underground geothermal wealth of Barangay Ilomavis,” said lawyer Cromwell Ribaya, who represents the city council.

Local businessmen have complained that power interruptions have resulted in a decline in their business operations.

North Cotabato local government units have been asking for such power allocation since January but there was no action.

“We have exhausted all peaceful, diplomatic means of compelling the respondents to dispatch to our communities our share of the power being generated by the two plants. We have no way but to seek redress through the judiciary,” Evangelista said.