MANILA, Philippines – Suportado ni Deputy Majority Leader at Talino at Galing ng Pinoy party-list Rep. Jose “Bong” Teves Jr. ang panawagan ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. na alisin ang electricity system loss charges, sa pagsasabing ang mga consumer ay hindi dapat nagtitiis sa pagbabayad ng operational losses ng power providers.
Sa panayam, sinabi ni Teves na suportado niya ang utos ng Pangulo na alisin ang system loss charge.
“I am very much in favor of removing the system loss charge. Consumers religiously pay for their electricity consumption, yet they are still being required to shoulder the losses of power providers,” ani Teves.
Matagal na umanong usapin ang isyu sa Catanduanes kung saan nagtitiis ang mga consumer ng unstable na serbisyo ng kuryente ngunit nagbabayad pa rin ng system loss charges.
“This has been a big problem in Catanduanes. Consumers there experience unstable power supply, yet they are still being made to pay system loss charges. That is unfair,” sinabi ni Teves.
Ang distribution utilities at power companies ay ang dapat na responsable sa pagprotekta ng kanilang operasyon at pag-iwas sa mga losses dahil sa electricity pilferage, meter tampering, at transmission problems.
“If there are cases of wire tapping, meter tampering, or transmission line problems, that is not the fault of ordinary consumers who faithfully pay their electricity bills. Those are the responsibility of the power providers. If such incidents happen, it is due to their negligence, and consumers should not suffer because of it,” anang mambabatas.
Aniya, dapat gawin ng mga kompanya ang lahat ng hakbang para mapababa ang losses nila sa halip na ipasa ito sa mga consumer.
“Our electricity rates are already among the highest in Asia, and to make matters worse, consumers are still paying for system losses. That is not appropriate,” aniya.
Umaasa si Teves na maipatutupad na ang panukala, at sinabing pag-uusapan din nila ni House Speaker Faustino Dy III ang hakbang na ito at isama sa priority measures ng agenda ng Kamara.
Aniya, ang amendments sa Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) ay kabilang sa mga legislative measure na layon niyang isulong upang maalis na ang system loss charge. RNT/JGC
