BY DAVE SUAN ALBARADO
Former Tagbilaran City Mayor Atty. Dan Neri Lim has expressed fears that the provincial government’s decision to give up on buying back the Bohol Light Company Inc. (BLCI) may leave consumers with less protection.
Lim, who recently resigned as vice chairman of the Capitol’s anti-graft watchdog, made the comments during a guest appearance on a DYTR radio program hosted by Ardy Araneta Batoy.
He also announced plans to file charges related to the BLCI stake sale before the Ombudsman.
The provincial government had declined an offer from SPC Power Corporation to buy its 70% stake in BLCI at P3 per share.
Instead, SPC sold the stake to Primelectric Holdings Inc. (PHI) at P6 per share, causing public suspicions about the deal.
Lim questioned where the difference of P3 per share went, and alleged that the sale was made without the required written approval from the provincial government and the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP).
He also claimed that the sale may have been influenced by the interests of Enrique Razon, who controls PHI and has a significant stake in Bloomberry Resorts Corporation, the operator of Solaire Resort and Casino.
Lim, who is running for governor, said his main reason for seeking office is to protect the interests of Boholano consumers.
He also expressed fears about the potential privatization of the Bohol Electric Cooperative 1 and 2 (BOHECO) and the possibility of a casino being built in Bohol.
The former mayor criticized the provincial government for not taking action to buy back BLCI, despite having the opportunity to do so.
He also accused Provincial Administrator Asteria Caberte, Argeo Mellisimo, and former Loboc mayor Leon Calipusan of being behind the deal.
Lim is spearheading a signature campaign to solicit support for the filing of charges against those involved in the sale of SPC’s BLCI stake.
The campaign will stretch from Tagbilaran to other parts of Bohol, and the signatures will be used as the basis for the charges.
The sale of SPC’s stake in BLCI to the Razon group for P350 million was announced last month, and the Razon group has already taken over BLCI.