The Tale of Electricity and Two Deputy Speakers

The intermittent, sometimes long and agonizing brownouts in the town of Bauan bring back to memory the struggle of Batangas City residents years back when it was still under a local distributor known as BCELS. I was still a young journalist then when there was an attempt to transfer the management of the power utility to a Cooperative being spearheaded by then first-termer Mayor Eduardo Dimacuha. I was among those opposed to the idea since many thought it was just another farce organization prone to corruption and political pressure that will not solve the brownout misery.

Dimacuha had a backing of then Deputy Speaker of the House, Rep. Hernando “Nani” Perez. 

It even came to a point when Meralco was the popular choice and National Power Corporation’s District Manager Rudy Corrado somehow earned the ire of Perez for not supporting the Cooperative idea. Corrado, a lowly district manager, was lambasted by Perez who asked for his head in front of President Corazon Aquino. It must have been so important an issue that an official of Nani’s status would bring it up to the highest level.

The rest is history since due to intense public demand, the electricity services fell into the able hands of Meralco.

For Bauan, the case was different. When the Dolors have become the undisputed lords of Bauan, they sold the utility called Bauan Electric Light System (BELS) to First Bay Power Corporation, some claiming despite the lack of public hearings or transparency on what were really involved or who benefitted from the transaction. But since First Bay needed a Congressional franchise, a Dolor nephew-in-Law, Deputy Speaker Raneo “Ranie” Abu sponsored the fast House approval of the franchise (although he was not yet Deputy Speaker at the time, if I am not mistaken).

So both Deputy Speakers taking much interest in the electricity service in their areas is really a saga of its own. But I must admit that Nani Perez’s deputy speakership is much more glamorous because in his time, there were only 3 of them, unlike now with Abu who is one among 14 deputy speakers.

 Now for Bauan’s agony, some people are saying why not transfer to Meralco? Well for one, as a people dissatisfied with a franchisee, they can really petition Congress to revoke First Bay’s franchise. But the million dollar question is, would their Congressman and Deputy Speaker, support them?