Batanes electric cooperative denies dealing with Napoles

A group of linemen from the Batanes Electric Cooperative (Batanelco) repairs a damaged electric post after the onslaught of Typhoon Odette in Batanes. Screengrab from Batanes Batanelco facebook account

MANILA, Philippines – A local electric cooperative tagged by Janet Lim-Napoles to the so-called pork barrel scam has denied having anything to do with the alleged misuse of public funds.

The Batanes Electric Cooperative (Batanelco) claimed that Napoles made up her story about Budget Secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad showing her a special allocation release order (Saro) for a P10-million project.

“The allegations are without factual basis,” Batanelco said in a statement signed by its President Quirino Gabotero Jr., General Manager Victoria Mata and former President Wilfredo Cabitac.

“The BATANELCO was never a recipient of a Ten million peso (Php10,000,000.00) fund with SARO, contrary to the allegation of Janet Napoles in her statement,” it added.

Batanelco then enumerated subsidy funds it received from the National Electrification Administration (NEA), none of which had a Saro:

A) Three million and eight hundred sixty thousand pesos (Php3,860,000.00) for the construction of Distribution Lines for:

1).    Taytay Kayhuvokan Basco Radar Station;

2).    Sitio Tukon, Basco;

3).    Babat Tunga, Basco;

4).    Sitio Disvayangan, Mahatao; and

5).     Sitio Diura, Mahatao, all in the province of Batanes, which was released on January 12, 2000;

B) Three million four hundred fifty two thousand and one hundred forty four 93/100 pesos (Php3,452,144.93) for Rural Electrification Projects for the province of Batanes; and

C) One million seven hundred eighty three thousand one hundred ninety one 39/100 pesos (Php1,783,191.39) for the rehabilitation of distribution lines damaged by typhoons “Loleng” and “Iliang” released on January 13, 2000.

“The above-cited projects were duly implemented by the BATANELCO, inspected by the National Electrification Administration (NEA) and audited by the Commission on Audit (COA). The BATANELCO was never a recipient of a Ten million peso (Php10,000,000.00) fund with SARO, contrary to the allegation of Janet Napoles in her statement,” the officials said.

The group said it has been working with Secretary Abad, who served as Batanes representative from 1995 to 2004, since 1989 and that the official is a “very simple, honest and prudent man.”

“Our record shows that our cooperative has never been involved in the PDAF Scam masterminded by Napoles. The NEA can prove that we are one of the best-run electric cooperatives in the entire country,” they added.

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