Napocor orders disconnection of power to Basilan over unpaid P49-M bill
Hataman intervenes to postpone move
By Liza Jocson
ZAMBOANGA CITY – The National Power Corp. has ordered the disconnection of electricity to the province of Basilan on Monday, June 16, due to unpaid electric bills by the Basilan Electric Cooperative.
HATAMAN
The scheduled massive power interruption, however, did not push through after Basilan Rep. Mujiv Hataman intervened and asked the Napocor to hold the order in abeyance.
“Kausap na po natin ang pinaka-head ng NEA at nakausap na nila Baselco, kakadeposit daw ng payment. Aayusin natin po with Napocor at Baselco ang problema na ito, Inshallah (If Allah wills),” said Hataman in a social media post on Monday afternoon.
On June 11 this year, Napocor President and Chief Executive Officer Fernando Martin Roxas wrote a letter to Rene B. Barruela, Vice President, Napocor Small Power Utilities Group, regarding a disconnection order for Baselco.
“This is to request Western Mindanao Operations Division to disconnect Basilan Electric Cooperative (Baselco) at noon on June 16, 2025 for failure to pay the amount of P49,378,790.90 representing its 26 March-25 April 2025 remaining current power bill balance which was due on 25 May 2025,” Roxas said.
Hataman’s intervention is expected to result in a meeting among concerned agencies to resolve the issue.
This is not the first time that Basilan province's power woes came to light.
In 2023, Hataman led a congressional inquiry on Baselco's failure to stop massive power outages in the island-province.
Hataman authored House Resolution 1157 directing the House Committee on Legislative Franchise to conduct an investigation into the incessant power outages in the province.
At the time, Baselco’s outstanding debt stood at P3.6 billion as reported by the National Electrification Administration and Napocor during the initial probe by the committee.
Baselco attributed the outages to the shutdown of power generators of Napocor and private firm Aggreko due to overload.