MANILA, Philippines — Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Wednesday questioned the delay in the issuance of the Implementing Rules and Regulation (IRR) of the “Murang Kuryente Act” by the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Department of Finance’s (DOF).
Republic Act 11371, or the Murang Kuryente Act, seeks to source government shares on the Malampaya fund to pay the debts of the National Power Corporation (NPC) which is currently being charged to consumers.
Gatchalian who chairs the Senate committee on energy argued that since President Rodrigo Duterte signed the measure on August 8 this year, its IRR should have been issued on or before November 27.
“While we understand that the DOE and DOF need to conduct consultations and address some complexity in the law, time is of the essence here. We want all Filipinos to feel and receive the tangible benefits from the Malampaya Fund now,” Gatchalian said in a statement.
“That’s why we are urging the DOE and DOF to issue the IRR as soon as possible so that there will be no new universal charges collected from every household,” he added.
Under RA 11371, P208 billion of the proceeds of the net national government share from the Malampaya fund shall be utilised for the payment of stranded contract costs and stranded debts transferred to and assumed by the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corporation (PSALM) pursuant to Section 49 of Republic Act No. 9136, the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001.