Olongapo City mayor no-show in House hearing

MANILA, Philippines – Olongapo City Mayor James Gordon Jr. failed to show up in yesterday’s House inquiry into the city’s P2.3-billion debt with the National Power Corp. (Napocor).

Iloilo City Rep. Jerry Treñas, head of the House committee on good government and public accountability, said Gordon wrote his panel asking for more time to draft his position paper on the issue.

This prompted Zambales Rep. Milagros Magsaysay, who authored Resolution 2436 that called for the inquiry, to ask the committee to compel Gordon to attend its future hearing instead of just sending a position paper.

She said the mayor should be ready to answer questions on why the city’s debt with Napocor has filed up, forcing the state power firm to intermittently cut off electricity supply.

She said the erratic supply is wreaking havoc on businesses and households in the city. 

She said Napocor supplies the city with electricity and it is the city in turn that collects from households and businesses.

However, the city government has failed to remit customers’ payments to Napocor.

During the hearing, other local officials of Olongapo admitted that they were not consulted nor informed of the real situation regarding the debt incurred by their city.

“I have repeatedly written and asked Mayor Gordon about this. His office just referred me to various offices but to no avail,” Vice Mayor Rolen Paulino said.

He said city residents have been suffering from off-on power supply because of the failure of the city government to settle its debt.

Councilor Bugsy Gordon de los Reyes, a nephew of Gordon, said he has not seen any financial document showing that the money paid by city residents was fully remitted to Napocor.

Another councilor, Jong Cortez, said the city’s debt was only P78 million in 2004 when Mayor Kate Gordon, a sister-in-law of the incumbent mayor, finished her term.

A third councilor, Luigi Lipumano-Garcia, said the refusal of the city government to clarify its debt is fueling suspicion that the funds may have been misused.