Last Monday afternoon (Jan. 12, 2026) during its regular session, majority of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan members voted to pass a resolution declaring Governor Patrick Alain T. Azanza a “persona non grata” for obvious reasons: the now acrimonious relationship between the legislative and the executive branch of the provincial government over the Quick Reaction Fund (QRF), the 2026 budget and other issues better discussed in whispers.
The declaration is merely a political statement reflecting the sentiment of the SP majority that Azanza is not welcome in their presence.
It does not prevent the governor from setting foot on and going around the legislative hall, which is the property of the provincial government of which he is the highest official.
The SP’s move could be seen by constituents as a childish reaction to Azanza’s threat to sue the board members before the Ombudsman over the QRF issue, especially now that the latter can use the provincial prosecutor’s opinion as basis for a formal complaint.
The worst is yet to come, so they say.
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By this time, it is apparent that the remaining officials of SUWECO (majority owner Zaldy Co, CEO Ronald Ang and other board members are in hiding abroad) are unable to comply with the Court of Appeal’s requirement that it post a bond equivalent to the total value of the deposits in the 14 frozen accounts before the freeze order could be lifted.
Readers may recall that this column expressed doubt that the company could be allowed to use the supposedly frozen deposits to pay for the bond to secure the same deposits.
With the uncertainty of continued fuel deliveries to SUWECO and the possibility that it could run out fuel and stop operating its gensets, thus resulting in island-wide brownouts, the National Power Corporation’s Small Power Utilities Group (SPUG), which covers off-grid islands like Catanduanes, has proposed a transitional measure to ensure continued power supply in the affected areas.
It proposed that NPC be allowed to pay for SUWECO’s fuel directly to the supplier, charged to the Universal Charge for Missionary Electrification (UC-ME) subsidy under which SUWECO is entitled to the difference between the True Cost of Generation Rate (TCGR) and the Subsidized Approved Generation Rate (SAGR)
The other Wednesday, DOE Secretary Sharon Garin requested the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to confirm the authority of NPC to act as third party in paying off a creditor (the supplier), with consent of the debtor (SUWECO).
In reply, ERC Chairman Francis Saturnino Juan confirmed that the proposed payment scheme can be implemented as long as NPC-SPUG properly accounts for the payments charged to SUWECO’s UC-ME subsidy claim, document them and conduct the required audits.
As of presstime, the parties involved in the implementing the measure are still discussing the terms and conditions of the move that will ensure uninterrupted power supply in Catanduanes even after the expiration of the EPSA this May.
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THE EARRING. A man was at work one day when one of his co-workers noticed that he was wearing an earring. His colleague was surprised as the man was normally conservatively dressed, so he decided to ask him about his sudden change of style.
“I didn’t know you liked earrings,” he remarked.
“It’s only an earring,” the man defensively replied.
“How long have you been wearing it then?” the man asked.
“Er, ever since my wife found it in our bed,” came the reply.