General Santos City Councilor Franklin Gacal, Jr. (Photo courtesy of the City Council)
GENERAL SANTOS CITY – The city government is working with the police here to help settle its accumulated unpaid electric bill to the tune of PHP4 million.
Councilor Franklin Gacal said Friday they are exploring possible funding sources to help cover the outstanding electric bill of the city's police headquarters and its eight police stations.
“We might not be able to cover everything, but we’re working to help them eventually settle it,” he told reporters.
Gacal said the local government is working to increase the current budget for electricity by the local police.
Col. Gilberto Tuzon, acting city police director, submitted a request to the City Council early this week to help them settle their unpaid electric bill to avoid the possible disconnection.
Tuzon admitted in an interview with reporters that their arrears with the South Cotabato II Electric Cooperative (Socoteco II) previously reached around PHP4.9 million but that they managed to pay a portion of it.
Tuzon said the Police Regional Office-12 has already issued notices to them regarding their mounting obligation to the electric cooperative.
He lamented that their unpaid electric bill does not reflect their actual usage, as the city police compound hosts several other national support units of the PNP.
“We also have detachments and police stations to maintain,” he said, adding the local police allocates a monthly payment of PHP90,000 for its electric bill from its maintenance and other operating expenses. (PNA)
