President asked: Where’s rage against ‘abusive’ power firms?

If President Rodrigo Duterte has been railing against a number of oligarchs over their firms’ supposed onerous water concession deals with the government, party list lawmakers are wondering why he cannot have the same level of aggression against power supply deals, which are supposedly bleeding Filipino consumers.

Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate called on the Chief Executive to display the same ire on onerous power supply agreements and punish “abusive” players in the power sector, similar to the treatment received by water concessionaires Manila Water Company and Maynilad Water Services.

“For the sake of consistency, President Duterte should be as tough on these power oligarchs as he was to these water concessionaires,” the Makabayan lawmaker and Senior Deputy Minority Leader said.

In a speech on Monday, Mr. Duterte lashed out anew at the water concessionaires, saying he has vowed to deliver the “big fish” of corruption—the Ayalas and Pangilinan, owners of Manila Water and Maynilad, respectively.

But according to Zarate, the power firms, like the water concessionaires, are likewise pushing for onerous power supply agreements (PSA) that, he said, would similarly burden consumers.

He cited the PSAs for the construction of several coal-fired power plants, which remain pending before the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC).

According to Zarate, President Duterte should also look into the power industry where monopolies were supposedly holding consumers hostage.

“The constant threat of thinning power supply and brownouts in exchange for higher power rates or more onerous power supply agreements has been the bane of consumers for decades now,” Zarate said in a statement.

The Bayan Muna lawmaker reiterated the appeal he made to Malacañang in April 2019, when the Luzon grid was placed under red alert status several times, leading to rotating brownouts in some areas.

“We agree with Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, that the yellow and red alert warnings are a signal that demand has caught up with the existing supply and that there is a need to start building capacity, but we need to have a comprehensive nationalized power plan to achieve this,” he said.

Zarate called for a review and “drastic” amendment, or even repeal, of the Electric Power Industry Reform Act, to allow the government to make the energy plans.