Prioritize the people's welfare amid COVID-19 crisis;
Bong Go asks DOE, ERC, Meralco to ensure fair and clear guidelines on electricity charges

Senator Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go asked the Department of Energy, Energy Regulatory Commission, and other concerned agencies to look into growing complaints regarding alleged cases of unjust electricity bills that some consumers received from power distribution utilities, such as Manila Electric Co. (Meralco).

"Dapat pangalagaan ang interes at kapakanan ng mga ordinaryong Pilipino lalo na ngayon na hirap na hirap na ang mga tao dahil sa krisis na dulot ng COVID-19," Go urged.

Go urged concerned agencies and Meralco to further clarify to the public the reason behind electricity rates during Enhanced Community Quarantine when actual meter reading was not possible and the reflected amount shown in June billings.

"Maraming mga reklamo hinggil sa mataas na electricity bill na natanggap ng consumers. Kailangan ipaintindi ng maayos ang pinagbasehan nito. Importanteng masiguro na tama at patas ang aplikasyon nito para hindi dumagdag sa pinapasan ng ating mga kababayan," he said.

In a statement, ERC Chair Agnes Devanadera said "We have been bombarded with complaints on Meralco's alleged high billings covering the past three months, including this May. (W)e need to look into these consumers' allegations (and so) we required Meralco to submit to us data or information for us to validate the accuracy of their billing calculations."

The Senator, then, urged the ERC to investigate the issue further and ensure that consumers are charged the right amount without overburdening them in this time of pandemic.

"Naghihirap na ang mga Pilipino at marami nang nagkakasakit, dadagdagan pa ng sakit sa ulo dahil sa pag-intindi ng hindi klarong mga patakaran ukol sa bayarin," he lamented.

Go emphasized that while Meralco has made efforts to explain the reason behind the increased amount of electricity bills through their public statements, further clarifications and corrective measures are necessary to give consumers the assurance that there is no overcharging.

"Siguraduhin po natin na naaayon sa batas ang patakarang sinusunod ng Meralco. At kung may mali, i-tama dapat nila sa lalong madaling panahon. Huwag ninyong palampasin kung may mali. Dapat gawan ng corrective measures o adjustments sa billing kaagad," he stressed.

Go emphasized that now, more than ever, profits should not be prioritized over the welfare of the general public. The government, he said, should not tolerate any unfair business practices at a time when people's lives are at risk.

"Nananawagan din ako sa Meralco na ipaliwanag ng maayos sa simpleng paraan at ibigay ang kumpletong impormasyon upang maintindihan ng mga tao. Huwag baliwalain ang mga reklamo, pakinggan niyo ang hinaing ng ordinaryong mamamayan. Tulungan po natin sila at pangalagaan ang kapakanan ng mga bumuhay sa inyong negosyo," he added.

The Senator further urged concerned agencies to look into the matter and prioritize the welfare of the general public given the ongoing health crisis.

"Unahin po natin ang kapakanan ng ordinaryong tao. Bilang parte po kayo ng gobyerno, we expect the agencies concerned to serve the people and protect the rights of ordinary Filipinos first. That should be the priority," Go urged concerned government officials.

Go also requested the power companies to defer disconnection should some of their consumers fail to pay their electricity bills incurred during the ECQ.

"Samantala, habang inaayos ang isyung ito, nananawagan din ako na kung maaari ay walang maputulan ng kuryente. Magmalasakit po tayo sa mga kababayan nating naghihirap ngayon. Tulungan ninyo at huwag mas pahirapan pa," Go requested.

"Tatlong buwang pinagbawalan natin ang karamihan na makapagtrabaho at maghanapbuhay. Tatlong buwan nating pinilit na manatili lang sila sa kanilang mga bahay. Dahan dahan pa lang na nagbubukas ang mga negosyo at trabaho. Huwag naman sana natin dagdagan pa ang bigat at hirap na dinadala ng ating mga kababayan," he added.

Earlier, Go urged the private sector to help alleviate the woes of workers and citizens amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic by giving them enough leeway with paying their utility bills.

"I appeal to the private sector-the industry players, business leaders, foundations and the like-to join hands and combine our efforts as we fight COVID-19 as one nation, as one people," Go said in a statement.

Go emphasized further that threats of COVID-19 to the safety and lives of our people continue to grow. While the government is doing its best, a whole-of-society approach is needed to help the whole country overcome the crisis.

"Magtulungan at magbayanihan po tayo. Walang dapat mapabayaan. Unahin natin ang kapakanan ng mga ordinaryong mamamayan," he stressed further.

According to DOE Secretary Alfonso Cusi, as early as May 15, they have written Meralco seeking for their explanation regarding the complaints from consumers on the spike in their electricity bills. On May 26, DOE called the executives of Meralco so they can personally explain these spikes which has caused additional worry to consumers and advised them that they should re-issue the electricity bills based on actual meter readings instead of using the estimated average consumption.

Another meeting was then held on June 3 to discuss the implementation of earlier suggestions to issue new electricity bills to consumers. During the meeting, Meralco also informed DOE that they will be issuing advisories explaining the May and June billings, through letters, social media posts and print media notices.

DOE also attended several meetings called by the Joint Congressional Energy Commission and House Committee on Energy to discuss the "bill shock" issue. To date, Meralco has re-issued June billings based on the actual meter readings with customer-specific explanations on the computation and how it will be paid on installment basis.

Cusi assured that DOE is working continuously with Meralco and ERC in monitoring the developments to ensure that the interests of consumers are protected at all times.