Groups protest power rate hike at Meralco branches
Protesters rally in front of a Meralco Bayad Center in Manila to ask the Supreme Court and Malacañang to junk the proposed P4.15/kwH increase.
MANILA, Philippines — On the eve of the second round of oral arguments at the Supreme Court over the power rate hike, consumer and militant groups held a series of protests on Monday in various Meralco Bayad Centers in Manila to ask the Supreme Court and the Malacañang to junk the Meralco proposal to increase electricity rate.
Members of Gabriela NCR, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan and #StrikeTheHike Network staged the day-long protest against the P4.5/kwH Meralco power rate hike a day before the energy department and the Energy Regulatory Commission would face the high court justices.
Protesters stamped “Paid Under Protest” on Meralco bills and receipts of paying electric consumers in front of Meralco centers in España, Tutuban, Kamuning, Kalentong and Pasig.
“These stamps signify our opposition to the said hike,” the militant groups said in a statement.
A “Blackout Protest” wherein 10 villages along Bustillos Street in Sampaloc, Manila, turned off their lights for an hour has also been planned for Monday evening.
“With this activity, we aim to register a public pressure to our SC judges as well as President Aquino to permanently junk Meralco’s plan to raise power charges,” #StrikeTheHike Network spokesperson Jinky Panganiban said.
“As big private businesses behind the power industry in the country are clearly pressuring and blackmailing the Aquino government with threats of rotational blackouts just to justify the increases, the Filipino people are now also warning the SC and the Palace that the present administration will be accountable to the rage and anger of the Meralco consumers once power charges increase,” Panganiban added.
The spokesperson said that if the President was really serious in resolving the issue of high electricity process, he must totally junk the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA), control power rates and nationalize the power industry.
The groups also warned the government that they would conduct more rallies in the coming days until the scrapping of the proposed hike.
Last December, the Department of Energy and Meralco announced the P4.15/kwh increase which met strong opposition from various groups and sectors. The Supreme Court also started hearing a case against the hike after consumer groups filed petitions against the hike.
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