Philreca Party-list Rep. Presley de Jesus (left), Santa Rosa City lone district Rep. Dan Fernandez (PPAB)
The Energy Regulatory Commission’s (ERC) past “failure” to carry out a timely rate reset–which had been detrimental to consumers–wasn’t lost on veteran congressmen during a hearing of the so-called House Blue Ribbon committee on Monday, Feb. 3.
Cagayan de Oro 2nd district Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, Philippine Rural Electric Cooperatives Association Inc. (Philreca) Party-list Rep. Presley de Jesus, Manila 6th district Rep. Bienvenido “Benny” Abante Jr., and Santa Rosa City lone district Rep. Dan Fernandez all took ERC to task over this omission during the hearing.
Attending the hearing held by the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability was former ERC commissioner Alfredo Non.
Also invited to the proceedings were resource persons from the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) and the Manila Electric Company (Meralco), both of which have been at the receiving end of flak for the regulator’s alleged oversight.
The former ERC commissioner was questioned for the lack of rate reset proceedings during his stint at the regulatory body, which resulted in lapsed periods for both the transmission grid operator and the largest distribution utility in the country.
Rodriguez reckoned that the ERC should be faulted for the lack of a rate reset and not the NGCP and Meralco, since both of which were regulated entities bound by rules set by the regulator.
“The problem here is the ERC has failed to conduct a timely rate reset. We are barking at the wrong tree if we are faulting the regulated agencies—Meralco and NGCP,” he said.
Rodriguez noted that despite the failure of the ERC to conduct a timely rate reset, Meralco heeded the regulator’s order to refund around P48 billion to customers for the lapsed period.
Meanwhile, De Jesus grilled Non for the delay in rate reset proceedings. He emphasized that the problem started only during the former commissioner’s term.
“Seven years kayo, ni isang rate reset wala kayong nagawa? (You were at the helm for seven years, and yet you didn’t do a single rate reset?)” an exasperated De Jeus told Non.
Abante Jr. chastised Non for his excuse. Non admitted during the panel that there was no rate reset for either NGCP or Meralco during his seven-year term at the ERC due to an “error” prior to his entry to the collegial body.
The outpsoken Fernandez, who has been critical of Meralco, even acknowledged during the hearing that the lack of a rate reset stemmed from “regulatory failure”.
“Negligence talaga ng ERC (This is really negligence on the part of ERC),” said the solon from Laguna.
*****
Credit belongs to : www.mb.com.ph