The Bohol Light Company, Inc. (BLCI) could lose its franchise as the Tagbilaran City government is set to oppose its application for renewal due to the firm’s alleged tax delinquency.

According to Vice Mayor Toto Veloso, the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) passed a resolution on Thursday authorizing Mayor Baba Yap through the City Legal Office to file a “comment” or “opposition” against the application of BLCI, whose franchise is set to expire this year.

“Gisulti atol sa atoang session na duna pay wala mabayari nila na bayrunon sa atong syudad from 2009 to the present,” said Veloso.

In a separate resolution of the Local Finance Committee (LFC), it was indicated that the BLCI has not renewed its business permit from 2009 until the present.

The City Treasure’s Office (CTO), based on its records, said that BLCI has accumulated unpaid taxes of P42 million from 2009 to 2014.

However, the CTO has yet to determine the tax amount due from 2014 to 2021.

According to the CTO, it has not been able to bill BLCI from 2014 to the present as the firm has not declared its gross sales to the city.

The CTO said that BLCI, in 2014, contested the city’s assessment of business taxes and other fees through the filing of a civil case for “Nullification of Franchise Tax Billing Statement with Injunction.”

The case remains pending before the Regional Trial Court Branch 2 in Tagbilaran City.

The Chronicle reached out to the BLCI for a comment but a representative from the firm said they will not yet issue a statement as they await advice from their legal team.

BLCI is one of three power utilities in Bohol.

The firm mostly covers Tagbilaran City while the Bohol Electric Cooperative I and BOHECO II offer their services to Bohol’s 47 towns. (A. Doydora)