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Suspension
is not Enough
Abolish
PPAs!
May
29, 2002 - Today, workers belonging to the Alliance of
Progressive Labor (APL) picketed the MERALCO Office to protest
the private utility company’s continued collection of PPA
payments to cover its own obligations to Independent Power
Producers (IPPs) and to reiterate its call for the abolition
of the Purchased Power Adjustments (PPA).
The
picketers continued to encourage MERALCO customers to have
their electricity bills stamped with “under protest”
markings.
The
suspension of PPA payments slapped by the government to quell
the snowballing protest against onerous IPP contracts covers
only those that are contracted by the National Power
Corporation (NAPOCOR).
While
the suspension is a welcome move, it is simply not enough.
After all, MERALCO gets half of its power directly from its
own IPPs, including those owned by the Lopezes themselves.
This
means that the promised 80-centavo reduction in PPA payments
would not be realized so long as MERALCO is allowed to collect
PPA to cover its own IPP contracts, some of which are believed
to be as onerous as NAPOCOR’s IPP contracts.
The
APL also criticized current legislative measures calling for
government to absorb portions of the PPA as unacceptable.
“Congress
is ignoring the crux of the problem. We don’t want to pay
for power that we don’t use, whether it is collected through
PPAs or whether it is through taxes! The only solution
acceptable for workers is one that is not premised on meeting
the obligations of NAPOCOR and MERALCO to their onerous IPP
contracts. All onerous IPP contracts must be rescinded”
Josua Mata, APL Secretary General said.
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