Electric Cooperatives Under Fire: PARE Calls for Focus on Energy, Not Politics

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

In a bold and urgent statement, consumer group Partners for Affordable and Reliable Energy (PARE) has sounded the alarm on a disturbing trend among electric cooperatives—one that threatens to derail their core mission of providing reliable and affordable electricity.

As the 2025 Midterm Elections draw near, PARE Chief Advocate Officer Nic Satur, Jr. has raised concerns over what appears to be the blatant political involvement of some electric cooperatives. According to Satur, several cooperatives have been openly endorsing political candidates and partylists, using their platforms to highlight campaign activities instead of focusing on energy service improvements.

Power or Politics?

PARE’s observations suggest that certain electric cooperatives have posted candidate visits on their official pages, assigned team members to assist in political campaigns, and even allowed political banners and tarpaulins to be displayed at general assemblies. These actions, according to Satur, are clear violations of the cooperatives’ primary mandate—to serve the public, not political figures.

"Electric cooperatives are mandated to serve consumers, not politicians. Their time, resources, and expertise should be dedicated to providing least-cost power—not to political campaigns," he asserted.

Diverted Attention, Rising Costs

The infiltration of politics into electric cooperatives' affairs is not just unethical—it has dire consequences for consumers. Satur warned that when cooperative leaders engage in political endorsements, they shift their focus away from critical energy concerns such as lowering power rates, improving reliability, and ensuring proper resource management.

The result? Higher electricity costs, frequent power outages, and a failure to address urgent infrastructure needs.

"When leaders of electric cooperatives use their influence for political endorsements, it diverts their attention from pressing energy concerns. Consumers are left with higher rates, unreliable service, and mismanaged resources," Satur emphasized.

A Call for Neutrality

PARE is now calling on electric cooperative officials to uphold neutrality and refocus their efforts on their primary duty: delivering affordable and dependable electricity to member-consumer-owners (MCOs).

"We call on EC officials to uphold neutrality and focus on improving energy services, not politics," Satur urged.

With rising concerns over energy affordability and service reliability, PARE’s call to action comes at a critical time. The group warns that unless electric cooperatives realign their priorities, consumers will continue to bear the brunt of politicized governance and inefficient energy distribution.

Will electric cooperatives heed this call and realign themselves with their true mission? Or will political distractions continue to undermine their service to the public?

For now, all eyes are on these cooperatives as the nation watches—and waits—for the right choice to be made.

About "WazzupPilipinas.com"

WazzupPilipinas.com is the fastest growing and most awarded blog and social media community that has transcended beyond online media. It has successfully collaborated with all forms of media namely print, radio and television making it the most diverse multimedia organization. The numerous collaborations with hundreds of brands and organizations as online media partner and brand ambassador makes WazzupPilipinas.com a truly successful advocate of everything about the Philippines, and even more since its support extends further to even international organizations including startups and SMEs that have made our country their second home.