MANILA, Philippines- Hindi muna dapat mabahala ng mga kustomer ng Manila Electric Company sa nakaambang mas mataas na singil sa kuryente matapos baligtarin ng Court of Appeals ang pagbasura ng Energy Regulatory Commission sa power rate hike petitions.
Sinabi ni ERC chairperson and CEO Monalisa Dimalanta na hindi pa pinal ang desisyon ng appellate court na bumabaligtad sa pagbasura ng komisyon sa power rate petitions ng San Miguel Corp.’s power units at Meralco.
“We can still file for a motion for reconsideration. If granted, that’s another discussion. If denied, we can go all the way to the Supreme Court,” pahayag ni Dimalanta sa isang panayam nitong Huwebes.
“There is no computation yet of the rate hike… I do not foresee any rate impact yet,” aniya pa.
Inilahad ng SMC nitong Miyerkules na natanggap nito ang desisyon ng CA 13th Division, may petsang June 27, 2023, na pumapabor sa consolidated petitions ng power units na San Miguel Energy Corp. (SMEC) at South Premiere Power Corp. (SPPC).
Ibinasura ng CA ruling ang utos ng ERC na may petsang September 29, 2022 para sa “grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess jurisdiction.”
Pinayagan din ng appellate court ang joint motions para sa price adjustment ng SPPC (mula June 2022 hanggang January 25, 2023) at SMEC (mula June 2022).
Matatandaang noong September 2022, tinabla ng ERC ang joint motions ng Meralco, SMEC, at SPPC dahil makahahanap umano ang mga partido ng mas murang sources sa kabila ng pagtaas ng operating cost ng power plants.
Nauna nang binanggit ng Meralco at San Miguel ang mataas na presyo ng coal at natural gas, mga materyal ginagamit sa pag-prodyus ng kuryente, sa mga petisyon.
Sa pagbasura sa rate hike petition, sinabi ng ERC na ang power supply agreements (PSAs) ng Meralco sa SMEC at SPPC ay “fixed-price” at ang grounds na binanggit para sa pagtaas ng singil hay hindi kasama sa exceptions upang payagan ang price adjustment.
Dahil dito, naghain ang mga partido ng petisyon sa CA na humihikayat sa appellate court na igawad ang rate hike “without prejudice to any further requests for price adjustments for June 2022 onwards.”
Sa hiwalay na pahayag, kinumpirma ng ERC confirmed na natanggap nito ang hatol ng CA 13th Division at inilarawan ang desisyon bilang “unfortunate” at “disconcerting” dahil “it remains committed to the rule of law in protecting the consumers.”
Inihayag ng ERC na aalamin nito ang pinakamainam na legal recourse sa counsel nito, ang Office of the Solicitor General (OSG), kung saan kasama ang “the filing of a Motion for Reconsideration of the CA’s joint decision.”
“The ERC hopes the CA will revisit the records of the case as well as the arguments of the parties and uphold the commission’s ruling,” anang regulator.
Sa hiwalay na pahayag, sinabing San Miguel Global Power na ang desisyon ng CA “upholds the constitutional mandate of due process that guarantees the right to be treated fairly and effectively by quasi-judicial bodies like the ERC, and in the process, assure a fair and balanced regulatory environment that equally protects the rights and interests of all stakeholders involved.”
“It is regrettable that the ERC’s unfair decision early on to reject our joint petition with Meralco for a temporary rate hike — despite proving to be the least cost option at that time for power consumers — resulted in consumers shouldering the burden of much higher electricity rates,” sabi ng San Miguel Global Power.
“However, we assure the public that we will continue to find ways to help ease the impact of the current power crisis we are facing along with other nations globally, while ensuring we sustain operations and meet our country’s evolving power needs,” dagdag ng kompanya.
Nauna nang sinabi ng Meralco na lilinawin nito ang ilang bagay sa CA decision. RNT/SA
