Pimentel asks Malacañang to transmit details on EPIRA amendments

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III on Wednesday asked Malacañang to transmit the Executive department's proposal detailing the amendments that they are pursuing in the Energy Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA).

In an interview on Super Radyo dzBB, Pimentel said calls to review the EPIRA, which he tagged as the bible of all laws related to energy, has been on and off over the years, but he believes that it is about time to "overhaul" the law as he observed that it is leaning to protecting capitalists in the sector.

"Agree ako don sa sinabi ni President Bongbong Marcos. Ang tanong lang saan na ang detalye?" Pimentel said, referring to Marcos' State of the Nation Address (SONA) where the Chief Executive mentioned the EPIRA review as one of his legislative priorities

(I agree with what President Bongbong Marcos said on EPIRA but the question is where are the details?)

"Saan po ang proposal nila? Wala pa akong nakikitang draft bill na galing po sa Executive branch. So inaantay po natin yan," he added.

(Where is their proposal? I haven't seen a draft bill coming from the Executive branch. So we are waiting for it.)

Pimentel said the Senate minority is "very open" to coordinate with the Executive department in amending EPIRA but they need to know details to identify which provisions will be controversial.

"Kung sa detalye, makikita na natin don kung ano ang may chance na pumasa ano yung masyadong controversial na puwede niyang pabagalin ang legislative process," he said. "Give and take kasi ang legislative process e. Tingnan na natin 'yung mga proposal na very popular, madali makakuha ng suporta, unahin na natin yon." 

(Once we see the details of their proposal, we will be able to identify the provisions that have higher chances of passing and the provisions that could be controversial. These controversial provisions could slow down the legislative process and we know that legislation is a matter of give and take. Let us identify the provisions that can be easily passed so we could prioritize them.)

GMA News Online sought the Palace's reaction on the matter, but Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles said: "No comment."

Last Monday, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri delivered a privilege speech raising the issue of the "ever-increasing" electricity and power rates in Northern Mindanao and many parts of the country.

The Senate chief cited the electricity rates in Cagayan de Oro where it rose from P10.62 per kwh in January this year to P14.90 per kwh in July.

"It has been 21 years since we passed the EPIRA. If we need to review and amend it to respond to the condition at this time, we are prepared to do so. It is now ripe for review," Zubiri said.

In the same interview, Pimentel said he had asked his staff member who is from Cagayan de Oro to show him a copy of his electricity bill and he observed that most of the charges are for the generation and transmission cost.

He said some of these costs are being shouldered by the consumers and in effect, protecting the capitalists.

"Nakikita po natin na masyadong spoiled o protektado yung namumuhunan sa negosyo ng enerhiya. So panahon na talaga na balikan yan," Pimentel said.

(We can see that these capitalists in the energy sector are very spoiled and they are protected under the current system. So it is high time to review this law.)

"Balikan natin yung mga net income nila. Eh mga net income nila nasa bilyon piso kada taon... Saan nanggagaling yon? Nanggagaling sa mga daily wage earner," he added.

(We should look at their net income. Their net income reaches a billion each year. Where are these coming from? It is from the daily wage earners.)

For years, several attempts have been made to amend the power industry reform law amid criticisms of its ineffectiveness to bring down power cost, but nothing progressed.

Enacted in 2001, EPIRA, a landmark pro-market reform, aims to ensure reliable and competitively priced electricity in the country. Among its salient features is the division of the electric power industry into four sub-sectors — generation, transmission, distribution, and supply — to ensure a level-playing field among players in the energy sector. — RSJ, GMA News