MANILA, Philippines — Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Saturday warned that distribution utilities would face penalties if they violate the Energy Regulatory Commission’s (ERC) order on easing financial burden of electricity consumers during community quarantine.
This after the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) faced a fine of P19 million for failing to indicate monthly bill to customers and non-compliance to ERC’s directive to allow customers to pay in installments for their electricity bill.
“This should serve as a stern warning against all erring distribution utilities that might face the same consequences. Magsilbing leksyion sana ito sa iba pang distribution utilities sa bansa na hindi sumusunod sa mga panuntuan ng power regulator,” Gatchalian, who chairs Senate committee on energy and economic affairs, said in a statement.
(May this serve as a lesson to other distribution utilities in the country that are not following guidelines of power regulators.)
“Ang mga panggigipit at pananamantala sa panahon ng krisis at pandemya ay nararapat lamang na patawan ng karampatang kaparusahan. Maliit na halaga lamang, kung tutuusin, ang naturang multa kung ikukumpara sa idinulot na kalituhan at pasaning bayarin ng milyung-milyong residente lalo na yung may sapat lamang na kita araw-araw,” he added.
(Penalty should be imposed for companies abusing customers amid crisis and pandemic. The penalty is only a small price if we compare it to the financial burden of millions of residents especially those with minimum wage.)