 |
| Bro. Manuel de Leon during the press conference held on Aug. 26 at DXCP station | photo by Neil Nathan Lopez |
GENERAL SANTOS CITY — A coalition of church leaders, civic groups, and utility consumers announced an ecumenical prayer rally for Saturday to demand transparency from the South Cotabato II Electric Cooperative regarding a proposed joint venture with Ignite Power.
Organizers made the announcement during an Aug. 26 press conference at DXCP Radyo Totoo, urging the public to oppose the deal.
Bro. Manuel de Leon, president of Notre Dame of Dadiangas University, anchored the coalition's stance on transparency, accountability, and public participation, noting that reliable electricity affects all consumers regardless of politics or religion.
The proposed agreement would give the private partner a 70% stake in SOCOTECO II’s assets, leaving the 275,000 member-consumer-owners with 30%—a share De Leon warned could drop to 5% after future capital increases, reducing consumer board representation to as few as one seat.
"Member-consumer-owners want two things: a stable power supply free of brownouts and an affordable rate," De Leon said, adding that the cooperative remains financially viable and does not require private takeover.
The coalition supported pending legal actions against the proposal and urged members to boycott the upcoming plebiscite.
Organizers expect between 3,000 and 7,000 participants from local parishes and civil society groups at the Saturday event, which features a prayer rally and candle-lighting ceremony at Plaza Heneral Santos.
###
0 Comments