Tabuk City, Kalinga – The members of Tabuk Sangguniang Panlungsod, during their regular session on October 14, 2021, tackled the resolution they filed on August 19, 2021 endorsing to Mayor Darwin Estranero the motion for reconsideration of Bulanao Hydro Electric Power Plant (BHEPP) Manager Engr. Daniel Peckley Jr. in connection with the recommendation of the SP for a temporary suspension of BHEPP's business permit.
Estrañero sent his reply to the Sanggunian thru a letter and was read out to the SP members and those who attended during the said regular session.
Councilor Dick Bal-o, who previously moved for said recommendation having heard the side of the BHEPP, NIA and to include KAELCO representative which he said are ‘meritorious,’ that it should be taken into consideration with regards to the temporary suspension of BHEPP’s business permit.
“We must also recognize, a meritorious met daytoy argument ni Mr. Peckley, and substantially a makitak nga awan met legal basis tayo,” he said as he moved that a resolution “be enacted by the august body, addressed to the city mayor, for the mayor to seriously consider the merit of the stand or position of DPJ.” he said during the Regular Session on August 26.
Councilor Zorayda Mia Wacnang in the addendum, moved “for the mayor to also seriously consider the updated recommendations of the NIA,” saying that “it’s not in our hands to say whether it has been complied with or not because remember, the tenor of our suspension, where we recommended the suspension of the business permit until such time that all the matters (in the NIA report) are addressed."
"Now, we have the updated NIA findings ket diyay kuma ti i-focus tayo nga ibaga ken mayor because we do not have any basis to say otherwise. This is to direct the attention of the executive, not only to the position of DPJ but the status update of NIA with regard to the problems raised by the IAs and the farmers," Wacnang said.
Estrañero's response to the endorsement of the motion of Peckley
Mayor Estrañero referred back to the Sangguniang Panlungsod the endorsement of the motion filed by the Bulanao Hydroelectric Power Plant (BHEPP) to the City Council concerning the recommendation of the SP on the temporary suspension of of the business permit.
In a letter of Estrañero to the Sangguniang Panlungsod dated October 4, 2021, and entitled ‘Sangguniang Panlungsod Resolution No. 158 Series of 2021, endorsing to his office the motion for reconsideration filed by Engr. Daniel Peckley Jr. (DPJ),’ he said that his ‘office concurs with the recommendation of the Sangguniang Panlungsod in its resolution No. 150 Series of 2021.’
Estrañero also cited that concerned departments of the city government were already instructed together with the affected irrigator’s associations as far as Mallig and Quezon Isabela to submit their assessments with regard to the compliance of the DPJ Engineering and Consultants.
With regard to the motion of Peckley, Estrañero wrote that “the Motion for Reconsideration filed by Engr. Peckley against Resolution No. 150 Series of 2021 is within the power of the Sangguniang Panlungsod to resolve as the office is likewise granted under the Local Government Code with a separate power provided therein.”
Background of the recommendation to suspend business permit of Bulanao Hydro
The Sangguniang Panlungsod on August 12, 2021, through resolution no. 150, series of 2021, recommended that the business permit of BHEPP be revoked due to claimed unresolved complaints lodged by several farmers associations allegedly affected by the hydropower plant’s operation.
Nevertheless, Engr. Daniel Peckley Jr. (DPJ) sought fairness and asked that his side be heard, saying and claiming that the complaints have been complied with and the allegations that the BHEPP is the cause of the water supply problem are unfounded.
DPJ was given the chance to join the council’s regular session on August 26, 2021, along with the representatives of the Farmer Irrigators Associations (IAs), representatives from the National Irrigation Administration-Upper Chico River Irrigation System (NIA-UCRIS), and representatives from Kalinga Electric Cooperative (KAELCO) for them to express their sides.
Based on the result of the Sanggunian Deliberation, they filed resolution no. 160 Series of 2021.
In their latest resolution, they stated that they found out that the DPJ Engineers and Consultants has not violated any ordinance, agreements entered into by the DPJ Engineers and Consultants are all private contracts of which the council could not interfere with, the business dues and taxes are properly paid, and that the business permit was granted.
With the ball sent back to the Sangguniang Panlungsod to decide, the council noted the response of Estranero but did not
(This article has been updated at 10:30 am on October 17, 2021.)
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