ENERGY consumer advocacy group People for Power (P4P) coalition has raised alarm over what it said is the rush to renew the franchise of Manila Electric Company (Meralco), which is set to expire only in 2028.
The group said the advanced renewal of the Meralco franchise appears to be intended to whitewash the various allegations against the giant power distributor which it has to fully address yet.
“If we give Meralco an early franchise renewal, we are giving them a free pass on all the allegations against them,” said P4P convenor Gerry Arances. “Giving them a decades-long franchise now will remove the ability of the government to hold them to account and protect consumers.”
This early, Albay Rep. Joey Salceda is pushing for renewal, filing a bill to extend the Meralco franchise for another 25 years.
“The fact that Meralco is pushing for an early renewal shows that they want to escape any responsibility from any findings that the House of Representatives or any government body might find in an investigation into their practices,” Arances lamented.
“Their franchise is still good for a few more years, they’re earning a lot of money, they can wait until consumers have their say,” he said.
The P4P leader said Meralco is required by its existing franchise to deliver quality service to consumers at least possible costs.
“They do not exactly have a clean track record on this end, with consumers repeatedly questioning terms, expensive fossil-based contracts, and other business practices that weigh heavily on our pockets,” Arances said.
The number of legislators opposing the rush to renew the Meralco franchise is growing, among them Sta Rosa City Rep. Dan Fernandez and Surigao del Norte Rep. Johnny Pimentel.
Fernandez is vice chair of the House energy committee while Pimentel is vice chair of the House legislative franchise committee which is now deliberating the proposal to renew the Meralco franchise way ahead of its expiry.
