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‘Go ahead with CUC probe’
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Posted on Jun 22 2004
A member of the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. board welcomes any legislative investigation on CUC in connection with the current power woes as well as the impending privatization of its main power plants.
“I have no problem with that. It’s always good to find out the truth and get what information they really want from CUC,” said board member Joseph Torres.
He agreed that the Legislature has the authority to subpoena documents from concerned government agencies.
House Speaker Benigno R. Fitial had recently formed an investigative panel to force certain agencies, including CUC, to submit needed documents. Fitial has appointed Rep. Claudio Norita to chair the committee. The committee has not scheduled any meeting yet.
The panel is specifically tasked to go after the Marianas Public Lands Authority, Marianas Public Lands Trust, the departments of Public Safety and Public Health, and CUC.
House Vice Speaker and Public Utilities, Transportation, and Communication Committee chair Timothy Villagomez earlier complained about CUC’s failure to submit requested documents on the power situation on Saipan.
“It’s a grave concern, yet the panel never received the documents it requested from CUC,” said Villagomez.
He also expressed alarm over CUC’s ongoing efforts for the privatization of power plants 1 and 2 in Lower Base, which he said lacks a comprehensive consultation with the public.
“CUC needs to know that it can’t privatize something that it does not own. CUC is a public corporation,” he said.
Villagomez, a former CUC executive director, also frowned on the idea of CUC bringing in a power barge pending the full privatization of the power plants.
Villagomez accused CUC of not giving the real picture about the power situation. He said that, while CUC earlier denied that there is a power crisis and a meltdown of the power system, its actions seem to confirm such a situation.
PUTC earlier asked CUC to submit documents on the power situation by June 4. Villagomez said that, instead of complying, CUC sent a letter asking for a deadline extension but without specifying an extension date.
