Push to renew Meralco franchise 4 years ahead of expiry ‘ill-timed’ —Consumer group

United Filipino Consumers and Commuters (UFCC) has raised concern on the push for renewal of Manila Electric Company’s (Meralco) congressional franchise four years ahead of expiry, calling it “ill-timed.”

In a statement, UFCC president Rodolfo Javellana Jr. said the bid to renew Meralco’s franchise is ill-timed “because it is happening just when Meralco customers are feeling the weight of increasing electricity rates as a result of increased demand.”

It was Albay 2nd District Rep. Joey Salceda who filed House Bill No. 9793 —a measure which seeks to renew Meralco’s franchise for another 25 years.

Javellana said that before pushing for early renewal of the power distrbutor’s franchise, lawmakers should first look into democratic consultation “for the public, for us to have a real voice and representation.”

“For the UFCC, it is important for consumers to have a say in the matter," he said.

People for Power (P4P) coalition had earlier made a similar remark, saying that the “early push” for Meralco’s franchise renewal “will remove the ability of the government to hold them to account and protect consumers.”

Sought for comment, Meralco spokesperson Joe Zaldarriga said that “as a highly-regulated entity, Meralco has always been strictly compliant of the laws and regulations governing its franchise.”

"As such, Meralco is also very cognizant of the rules and has always been cooperative on the legal and regulatory procedures that underpin its operations, the franchise renewal process included," Zaldarriaga said.

The Meralco official added that the filing of bills to renew its legislative franchise of Meralco is "a firm validation of the relentless efforts of the power distributor to serve millions of Filipinos."

Renewing Meralco's franchise, Zaldarriga said, would allow the company's growing number of customers to continue enjoying stable and reliable electricity service, which is vital in powering not just households but also industrial and commercial customers that drive the country’s economic progress.—RF, GMA Integrated News