Senator Bato urged to help solve DavNor power woes

ADVOCACY group Davao Consumer Movement has appealed to Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa to help Davao del Norte wade through the challenges brought about by the inefficiency of power provider Northern Davao Electric Cooperative (Nordeco).

Dela Rosa, who hails from Sta. Cruz in Davao del Sur, should push for changes to address the challenges that have beset the electricity industry in its franchise area, particularly Davao del Norte, said Ryan Amper, co-convenor of the consumer movement.

“We welcome the statement of Sen. Dela Rosa (on the power problems in Davao del Norte). We, therefore, hope that being a member of the national legislature, he would push for solutions that will alleviate the situation of the people under the franchise of Nordeco in relation to its services,” said Amper.

The consumer movement leader was referring to the senator's comment last month on the problem that people of the Island Garden City of Samal have experienced since Christmas day when the submarine cable providing power to the island city conked out.

In his comment on the post on the Facebook page of the movement, dela Rosa blamed the power problem in the city on the lap of President Ferdinand Marcpos Jr. after the latter vetoed the bill that would have transferred the entire Davao del Norte from Nordeco to Davao Light and Power Co. (DLPC).

Bato said the comments of the consumers of the province blaming the cooperative for its failure to address the problem were “exactly the same as mine when I co-sponsored that bill (proposing for the transfer) regardless of who gets angry at me as long as the greater majority benefits from the said measure but unluckily the President vetoed it.”

“You don’t have problems with the Congress since the majority supported it, your problem is in Malacañang,” the lawmaker said.

Had the proposal been approved, it would have placed the entire province under the franchise area of DLPC as the power provider has been