Pangasinan business group set to file case vs Napocor, SRPC

By Danny O Sagun

Dagupan City (1 July) — A group of businessmen from eastern Pangasinan is set to file in court a complaint for damages against the National Power Corporation (Napocor) and the operator of the power generation component of the San Roque Multi-Purpose Project.

Engineer Rosendo So, who heads the Eastern Pangasinan Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce, said that businessmen from that area would take the fight against the state power firm and the San Roque Power Corporation in view of the hesitancy of other groups affected by the massive floods in October last year to file necessary complaints against the purported culprits.

“Medyo mabagal yong mga farmers natin na magsampa ng reklamo laban sa Napocor kaya ang business sector na ang mangungunang magreklamo,” So told the Enkwentro forum of the Pangasinan Press Club Wednesday at the Jurassic Ark in barangay Lucao here. The complaint, he disclosed, would be filed this July.

He said the October floods would not have been that massive and destroyed infrastructure and properties in eastern Pangasinan had Napocor and SRPC started releasing waters before the critical level. “Sana hindi na nila hinintay na umabot o lumagpas pa don sa critical level bago mag-release,” he stressed.

San Roque dam was forced to release waters up to more than 5,000 cubic meters per second (cms) at the height of typhoon Pepeng which unabatedly dumped heavy rains during that first week of October. The typhoon made unprecedented two exits and three landfalls in North Luzon.

The damage suit may run to several millions of pesos. “Yong sa rice mill P20 million na at mayroon pang iba,” he said, citing the damages which he alone suffered.

A group of Pangasinan lawyers earlier filed before the courts a similar complaint against the two firms. The provincial government was also earlier reported as contemplating to file necessary complaints against the person or persons responsible in that unprecedented release of excess waters.

Meanwhile, So said that the Abono partylist will continue to push for bills for the welfare of farmers as the two bills filed by the party under the past Congress were not acted upon. He said the party, which was entitled to two congressional seats, will push for more budget for irrigation facilities.

He said that farmers? access to the funds allotted under the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act will help them acquire more harvest facilities and assistance. “Siguro makakahabol na rin ang ating mga farmers kung mabigyan sila ng karampatang tulong ng gobyerno,” he said noting the prosperity being enjoyed by farmers from other countries like Taiwan and Vietnam because of full government support to the agriculture industry.

“Dapat talaga mabigyan ng subsidy ang ating mga magsasaka at marehabilitate ang irigasyon. Makakahabol din tayo sa Vietnam,” he said. A war-torn country some four decades ago, Vietnam is now a rice exporter.

So, Abono partylist chair, again called on the government to reduce rice imports which, he pointed out, affect local farmers.

He said he will try to arrange a meeting with the new agriculture secretary for Abono to discuss issues affecting the agriculture industry. (PIA Pangasinan)