Lifting stay order on Meralco rate hike goes against public interest – Malacañang

(Updated 5:11 p.m.) The Palace on Wednesday criticized the move of power distributor Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) asking the Supreme Court to lift the temporary restraining order on the electricity rate increase, saying it is contrary to public interest. 

The high court on Dec. 23 temporarily stopped – for 60 days – Meralco's record-high power rate increase.
 

"Government believes that unjustifiable price hikes should not be passed on to the people,”  Presidential Communications Operations Office head Herminio Coloma Jr. told reporters during a press conference at the Palace. 

 

“Therefore, the proposed petition for the lifting of the TRO is not consistent with the public interest," the Palace official said.

 

He quoted President Benigno Aquino III as saying that under Article II, Section 5 of the Constitution’s General Welfare provision, "… it is incumbent that, inasmuch as this situation greatly affects the welfare of so many of our countrymen, we should know what actually transpired and what corrective action should be undertaken to address that situation.

 

"The electric power industry is imbued with public interest. Public interest dictates that electricity service be provided continuously and without unjustified interruption," he said.

 

The President believes in enforcing the provision of the EPIRA on possible disgorgement of profits, should it be proven that there was collusion among the industry players to impose a power rate increase, he added.

 

Despite this position on the controversial Meralco rate increase, he said the Place is not prejudging the  results of a government investigation into the issue.

 

"The DOE and the DOJ are pursuing their parallel investigations without any interference from the Office of the President or from any other office, because we want an objective and impartial determination of the facts, so that the proper conclusions may be reached and that these conclusions will serve the public interest," he said.

 

"Our position has always been to base inquiries and investigations on concrete facts and on evidence, so there is no partiality or there is no preconceived notion or premature conclusion getting into the equation," he added.

"So, sa aking palagay hindi naman dapat humantong sa takutan; na sila ay mananakot at ang gobyerno ay mananakot din. Sa isang maayos na demokrasya, katwiran ang ginagamit at hindi pananakot," he said.– VS, GMA News