Cebu City Hall will pay P1.2 million out of the P1.8 million electric bill charged by the Visayan Electric Co. (Veco) to the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) covering October to April.
The period covers the time when the city-run Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) transferred to the BFP building after a powerful earthquake in October last year damaged the hospital’s building.
“We can even pay all if they are not that adamant. I already called Veco (about this).
Cebu City will never run away (from its obligations).” Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama said yesterday.
City Administrator Lucelle Mercado said they are are already processing the payment to Veco.
The power utility firm issued a notice of disconnection to the BFP last April 28.
CCMC chief Dr. Gloria Duterte earlier said the city government will foot the bill to cover its share of consumption.“The hospital, in good faith, is very much willing to comply with our obligation to pay for the electricity and water consumption up to the present,” Duterte said in her letter dated
April 10 and addressed to BFP regional director Ma. Luisa Hadjula.
In his April 28 letter, Senior Insp. Noel Nelson Ababon, chief of the regional BFP budget management section, said they want the Cebu City government to pay two-thirds of the P1.8 million bill.
“Considering that BFP-7 is only occupying one-third of the compound, BFP-7 will only be paying one-third of the accumulated electricity bills which is P616,389.90 only,” he said. Ababon said the BFP is hesitant to pay the bill, since the CCMC is also using the compound.
Councilor Mary Ann delos Santos, who heads the CCMC ad hoc committee, said the city will pay the bill.
“Money isn’t an issue here. There’s already an allocation for utilities in the budget this year,” she said.