Published January 31, 2019, 2:08 PM By Ellson
Quismorio
The Energy Regulatory Commission
(ERC) should go full blast in scrutinizing the seven controversial power supply
agreements (PSA) that have been pending before the body for nearly three years
now.
Akbayan Party-list Rep. Tom Villarin
and Bayan Muna Party-list Rep. Carlos Zarate issued the call in reaction to
reports that the ERC leadership is on its way to being complete again following
the resignation and retirement of three of its five top officials last year.
“The newly constituted ERC with full
membership should go full throttle on investigating all deals that is not to
the best interest of consumers, including the Meralco-linked power supply
deals,” Villarin said.
“As a regulatory body, it (ERC)
should be independent and critical of all applicants for energy power
generation supply and distribution [that] would tend to create monopolies and
control of the market,” added Villarin.
Zarate, for his part, said, “I think
what is left now is to order these seven power supply agreements or Meralco to
submit these to a competitive selection process (CSP).” A CSP basically refers
to a bidding process, which the PSA applications did not undergo.
Zarate, who initiated a House probe
on the seven Meralco-linked power deals in 2017, claimed consumers would
shoulder P930 billion in additional power rate expenses within the
20-to-21-year duration of the PSAs should the ERC approve them.
Since July 2018, three commissioners
– Alfredo Non, Gloria Victoria Yap-Taruc, and Geronimo Sta. Ana left the ERC.
Non and Yap-Taruc retired, while Sta. Ana resigned for health reasons.
In fact, among the reasons cited by
ERC Chairperson Agnes Devanadera for the body’s delay in resolving the seven
questioned PSAs back then was the lack of quorum among commissioners.
The Palace has since appointed
Commissioners Catherine Maceda and lawyer Alexis Lumabatan to replace Non and
Yap-Taruc, respectively.
Last week, a Manila Bulletin report
bared that certified public accountant (CPA)-lawyer Paul Christian Cervantes is
a lock for the post vacated by Sta. Ana, and that his appointment papers were
due for release soon.
Add the three to sitting Commissioner
Josefina Patricia Asirit, Chairperson Devanadera and the ERC would have enough
warm bodies to properly dispense with pending cases.
In this regard, Zarate advised the
commissioners to look up the findings of the House investigation on the
supposed “sweetheart” power deals, which was concluded last year.
“Naipakita sa hearings ng House,
napatunayan dito na yung seven power supply agreements na yun were actually
filed beyond even the extended deadline. Pwede itong gamitin as basis ng
commissioners, pag-aralan nila ang mga nangyari nung hearing ditto (During the
House hearings, it was shown and proven that the seven power supply agreements
were actually filed beyond even the extended deadline. The commissioners can
use this, they can study what happened during the hearings here),” he said,
adding that they are public document.
“Napakita rin dito na…talagang lugi
yung mamamayan (It was also shown that the people ,” the militant solon added,
referring to what he described as the “onerous” nature of the power contracts.
“Malinaw na yung basis na sa tingin
ko ay wag nilang payagan, wag nilang i-approve yung seven PSAs na yun at bagkus
ay isumbmit nila sa CSP (I think there’s clear basis for the PSAs to be
rejected, and instead have them subjected to a CSP),” Zarate further said.
The multi-trillion peso PSAs, which
involve deals on the construction of coal-fired power plants, were filed back
in 2016 by Meralco-affiliated generation companies.
These are Redondo Peninsula Energy
Incorporated, which is applying for a 225-megawatt (MW) plant; Atimonan One
Energy Incorporated (1,200 MW); St. Raphael power Generation Corporation (400
MW); Central Luzon Premiere Power Corporation (528 MW); Mariveles Power
Generation Corporation (528 MW); Panay Energy Development Corporation (70 MW);
and Global Luzon Energy Development Corporation (600 MW).
Devanadera, a former
solicitor-general and secretary of Justice, only became ERC commissioner in
November, 2017.
No comments:
Post a Comment