Colmenares asks Meralco to waive this month’s power bill to aid consumers amid quarantine

Published March 19, 2020, 11:28 PM By Chito Chavez
https://news.mb.com.ph/2020/03/19/colmenares-asks-meralco-to-waive-this-months-power-bill-to-aid-consumers-amid-quarantine/

Bayan Muna chairman Neri Colmenares on Thursday appealed to Manila Electric Company (Meralco) to waive this month’s power bill to consumers and charge it to the P30-billion refund for millions of its consumers.

Neri Colmenares (JOHN JEROME GANZON/Manila Bulletin File Photo)

He issued the call after citing Meralco’s move as well as that of other public utility operators like Manila Water Company and Maynilad Water Services to defer their bill collection for a month.

With the situation brought about by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, millions of workers, especially the ‘no work, no pay’ kind, are mandated to stay in their homes and are unable to work during the month-long enhanced community quarantine imposed by the government in Luzon.

These workers are groping for finances to feed their families during the quarantine.

However, Colmenares said “it would be better if these utilities, especially Meralco, altogether waive their collections for this month. Besides Meralco has to refund P29.6 billion for over-recovery of allowed annual distribution charges to consumers from 2013 to 2018.”

Late last year, Bayan Muna said Matuwid na Singil sa Kuryente (MSK) filed a petition with the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) for the P29.6 billion refund.

“We hope that Meralco would heed our call and be considerate of the millions of Filipinos who cannot work because of COVID-19,” Colmenares said.