MANILA, Philippines–The Makabayan bloc at the House of Representatives on Tuesday asked the Supreme Court to extend the restraining order it issued against the imposition of the P4.15 per kilowatt hour rate increase.
Last February, the high court extended the restraining order it issued against Meralco. The restraining order will expire on April 22.
The group said they want to extend the restraining order indefinitely.
“The TROs, if not extended by this Honorable Court, will leave Petitioners together with millions of Meralco’s captive market, unprotected as respondents will be free to charge the consumers with P4.15/kWh rate increase despite prima facie findings of collusion, anti-competitive behavior and abuse of market power prevailing in the market during the period question and despite the pendency of these consolidated cases,” petitioners said.
“This circumstance will result in grave and irreparable injury to petitioners as well as millions of Meralco consumers,” they added.
Along with electricity consumers represented by the People Opposed to Unwarranted Electricity Rates (POWER), Bayan Muna Representatives Neri Colmenares and Carlos Zarate, Gabriela Representatives Luz Ilagan and Emmi De Jesus, ACT Representative Antonio Tinio, and Kabataan Representative Terry Ridon are among the petitioners.
Petitioners also said that Meralco and the generation companies will stand to lose only windfall profits that are a product of “illegal” acts when the TRO is extended.
“Petitioners therefore submit that it is but proper and just to extend indefinitely the TROs issued by this honorable court pending the resolution of the case,” the motion read.
The high court issued a 60-day TRO on the rate adjustment on Dec 23, 2013; this was extended up to April 22 on Feb 18, 2014.
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