Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Q. Pimentel, Jr. (PDP-Laban) today warned the
government against capitalizing on the woes of power users to push a hidden
political agenda with the owners of the Manila Electric Company (MERALCO) as
the obvious targets.
Senator Pimentel
said he will back government’s moves to reform the power sector and eliminate
any malpractices by MERALCO in order to bring down electricity rates but not at
the expense of undermining the independence of the ABS-CBN, which has a common
owner, the Lopezes.
He said that while current government’s efforts to examine MERALCO’s operations
will hopefully redound to the public interest, there is a widespread
apprehension that the Lopezes are being threatened with a state takeover or
cancellation of franchise to make their broadcast empire less critical or less
hostile to the Arroyo administration.
The Lopezes
are being threatened with a state takeover or cancellation of the MERALCO franchise
to make their broadcast empire less critical or less hostile to the Arroyo
administration.
Editor’s Notes:
Please read also earlier articles by Senator Pimentel on the same topic:
Silencing
of ABS-CBN Is GMA’s Endgame Behind Threat of MERALCO Takeover
Review
EPIRA to Protect Customers – Senator Pimentel
There is also a speech by President Arroyo on the EPIRA at
this link:
PGMA's
Speech during the Women's Month Celebration on Women's Rights
“The threat of a state takeover of MERALCO also sends a chilling signal to the
business community that the government will not hesitate to go after other
business firms that may incur the displeasure of Malacañang,” the opposition
leader said.
Mr. Pimentel said that if the Lopezes who are very powerful could be the object
of “government harassment,” the more other business groups will be vulnerable
to such treatment.
But he cautioned the Arroyo government against pushing ahead with the takeover
of MERALCO or any private business because it would scare private investors,
particularly at a tine when it is trying to attract buyers for the National
Power Corporation the privatization of which is very much delayed.
Mr. Pimentel
cautions the Arroyo government against pushing ahead with the takeover of MERALCO
or any private business because it would scare private investors.
Senator Pimentel said that all these efforts to scrutinize MERALCO’s operations
and correct flaws will be for naught if they will not result in a significant
decrease in power rates, especially by ridding the monthly power bills of
fraudulent or illegal charges.
For instance, he said in the case of the cost of system’s losses which MERALCO
passes on to its clients, it should be disallowed by repealing a provision in a
law which supposedly legalizes such unethical business practice.
“Let them follow the basic business principle that whatever profits your
company earns are yours, but whatever losses are incurred also yours to
absorb,” he said.
Senator Pimentel said it seems unconscionable that the system’s losses are
subject to the 12-percent Value Added Tax, arguing that it should also be
disallowed.
He also took exception to MERALCO’s reasoning that all the additional charges
imposed on consumers, including the cost of the company’s own power consumption
are legal because they were authorized or approved by the Energy Regulatory
Commission.
“The ERC should see to it that all the components of the power costs that are
being charged against MERALCO clients are in accordance with law. The ERC
should not sleep on its job. Otherwise, its officials can be held liable under
the law if they are found to be fouling up on its job as the regulatory agency
in the power sector,” Pimentel said.
He expressed dismay that ERC chairman Rodolfo Albano was nowhere to be found
when the Senate conducted its public hearings on the high power costs in the
country despite the implementation of the EPIRA since 2001. # # #
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