Marcoses settle P.5-M electric bills in Batac

BATAC, Ilocos Norte – The Marcos family finally paid half-a-million pesos in previously unsettled electric bills here yesterday, ending another controversy that has hounded the heirs of the late President Ferdinand Marcos for some time.

The Ilocos Norte Electric Cooperative (INEC) told newsmen that the office of second district Rep. Imee Marcos forwarded yesterday the payment in the amount of P497,250.12.

The amount represented arrears from August 2000 to last month. Surcharges and interest fees totaling more than P200,000 were waived, otherwise the Marcoses would have paid P706,120.53.

INEC officials earlier informed former First Lady Imelda Romualdez-Marcos that they were waiving the interest and penalty charges in deference to the late president whom they said was the "father of rural electrification."

Mrs. Marcos is in the middle of another controversy triggered by the breaking away of former Marcos loyalist leaders from her camp, accusing her of being insincere in her dealings with her loyal supporters.

Cherry Cobarrubias, president of the Marcos Loyalist Organization, said Mrs. Marcos has yet to fulfill her promise of deliverance to Marcos supporters, many of whom are poor.

Cobarrubias claimed that Mrs. Marcos received P2 billion recently in alleged settlement fees from the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT), but did not allegedly come to the rescue of Marcos loyalists.

PLDT and Mrs. Marcos have both denied the reported settlement.