A Renewed Call Against Privatization

News Release

January 24, 2014

Reference: Vince Casilihan

Cellphone number: 09481390488

“A rally of resoluteness in the face of the portents of privatization.” This is what Vince Casilihan of Karapatan-Bicol has to prompt as a battle cry to fellow Bicolanos amidst renewed threats of electricity disconnection in Bicol.

The human rights alliance spokesperson expresses the organization’s censure of the permanent threats of power disconnection confronting electric cooperatives in the region. Casilihan reiterates that these are “deceitful maneuvers that shove the people’s electric cooperatives against the wall in order to force them into privatization”. “Aquino’s lackeys in the Department of Energy, along with energy industry powerbrokers and crooked officials of electric cooperatives, rack their brains on how to insist privatization and deprive the people of their economic rights and extort them of hard-earned money,” he further protests.

DOE and ALECO to Blame for Blackmail of Disconnection

News Release

January 13, 2014

Reference: Vince Casilihan

Cellphone number: 09481390488

Karapatan-Bicol today assailed the “barrage of spiteful ploys forcing Albay Electric Cooperative’s privatization”, as the human rights organization denounces the renewed threat of ALECO’s disconnection by the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines. 

“When the privatization maniacs failed at taking over ALECO, they have once again thrust the bludgeon of power stoppage,” Vince Casilihan, spokesperson of the group, said.  “And what insolence Petilla has in blaming protesters for ALECO’s possible disconnection,” he continues.

Casilihan exclaims the human rights organization’s revulsion on Department of Energy Secretary Jericho Petilla’s statement to media organizations that protesters are to be blamed for the impending disconnection as consumers are allegedly prevented from paying their bills. To this, Casilihan bares Petilla’s brazenness as “a lie to cover up the malversation of funds” supposedly by ALECO officials. “Nearly 265 million pesos under the Special Payment Agreement collected from the consumers were specifically intended to pay off ALECO’s electricity bills,” Casilihan explains. “This amount should be initially enough to prevent disconnection. But we ask Sec. Petilla and ALECO’s Project Supervisor Veronica Briones to explain where the people’s hard-earned payments went,” examines Casilihan.

Sufficient, Affordable, and Stable Electricity are the People’s Right

News Release

January 8, 2014

Reference: Vince Casilihan

Cellphone number: 09481390488

“A government feeding its people to the sharks” is how Vince Casilihan of Karapatan-Bicol describes the object of the people’s fury that effected the repossession of Albay Electric Cooperative (ALECO) by member-consumers last January 6.  “It was therefore just for Albayanos to retake the electric cooperative from the voracious San Miguel Energy Corporation and fight the anti-poor case of ALECO’s privatization,” he said.

The human rights alliance condemns in particular the incursion by the Albay PNP, reinforced by security forces of San Miguel Energy Corporation, on the demarcation between strikers and state forces. Hurt were negotiators Fr. Alex Bercasio of the Redemptorist Congregation and Atty. Donna Escio of the National Union of People’s Lawyers, when the two were shoved by police and security forces and pinned to the gate during the foray.