Members of the Power for People Coalition staged a protest on Friday in front of the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) office in Pasig City to oppose the agency’s approval allowing Manila Electric Company (Meralco) to collect at least ₱31 billion from consumers, according to a report by RH Edniel Parrosa.
The protest targeted the ERC’s decision to permit Meralco to pass on over ₱31 billion in fossil fuel-related charges to electricity consumers.
The group argued that the additional charge would further burden households already grappling with high power costs.
Joining the protest was labor leader and former presidential candidate Partido Lakas ng Masa, Leody “Ka Leody” De Guzman, who called on authorities to investigate what he described as alleged collusion within the energy industry.
De Guzman likened the situation to what he termed “legalized corruption,” comparing it to alleged irregularities previously raised in other government agencies, particularly the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
Less than 30 minutes after the rally began, ERC Chairperson Atty. Francis Saturnino Juan personally went out to meet the protesters and ordered the rally to be temporarily stood down so he could explain the commission’s decision directly to the group.
Juan faced the protesters led by De Guzman and clarified that the ERC’s approval of the ₱31-billion charge was an implementation of a Supreme Court ruling. He explained that the high fuel costs were due to a “change in circumstances,” particularly the surge in global coal prices triggered by the war in Ukraine.
According to Juan, the ERC merely enforced the Supreme Court’s decision. However, he said that as a regulatory body, the commission sought to ease the impact on consumers by allowing the charges to be paid on a staggered basis rather than collected in one lump sum.
“Pinaliwanag naman natin na ginawa ng ERC ang paraan at pinatutugon na rin sa naging desisyon ng ating Korte Supremo…Pero upang hindi naman maging malaki ang epekto nito sa ating mga konsyumer, ipinaliwanag din natin ang ginawa ng ERC upang mas mapababa ang magiging singil na yan kung adjustment na yan,“ Juan said.
“At ito ay nagawa nila sa pamamagitan ng pagtatakda ng mas mahabang panahon upang ang kabuuang halaga na dapat mabayaran ay mabawi,“ he added.
Following the exchange, both sides agreed to set a new date for dialogue. The agreement was reached along Exchange Road, where representatives of the ERC and the Power for People Coalition committed to holding further discussions to more comprehensively address the issues raised by De Guzman and the protesting groups.
