Stakeholders’ call: Repeal energy law

CEBU, Philippines -  Different consumers and people’s organizations want to have Republic Act 9136, or the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (Epira) repealed, blaming the law for the continuing power hike in the country.

They expressed the sentiment during a public hearing called for by the Cebu City council yesterday.

Representatives of the Consumer’s Rights for Economic Welfare, Freedom from Debt Coalition, National Association of Electricity Consumers for Reform, and the National Urban Poor Sector argued that the Epira failed in its supposed objective to lower electricity rates imposed on end-users or consumers.

The public hearing was meant to get the concerns of stakeholders, especially the public, on the proposed amendment to the law.

Among the concerns raised during the hearing were the rising power cost; imposition of value added tax; probation of cross-ownership in the power section; that transmission charges should be low; and that power generation, distribution, transmission, and demand should be monitored.

Department of Energy-Visayas Director Antonio Labios appeared yesterday to present an 80-page report on a focus group discussion (FGD) his office made in relation for inclusion in the proposed amendments to the Epira law.

Labios said that most of the issues raised during the City Council public hearing were similar to those identified in the FGD and already included in the report.

The report, Labios said, would be submitted to their head office to form part of the Epira law amendments proposed through House Bill 4744 by Oriental Mindoro second district Representative Reynaldo Umali.

HB 4744 is now on committee level at the House of Representatives, said DOE representative Tony Barcelona.

 “Average electricity consumers expressed their disappointment on the continuing power hike…. They have the same clamor to amend or repeal the Epira law,” Labios said during the public hearing.

He said the DOE conducted an FGD to review the Epira law, taking into account the need to ensure security of electricity supply at a reasonable price.

City Councilor Nestor Archival, council committee on energy chairman, said the  DOE should already have measures designed to lower the cost of electricity instead of just waiting for the law to be amended, which he said takes time.

Labios told the council that all issues and concerns mentioned in the public hearing were already included in the report along with DOE’s own recommendations.

Yesterday, Archival also asked DOE that if it conducts a consultation meeting or an FGD, the City Counciol should also be invited for it to know the issues and concerns of the public first hand, to which Labios agreed.

Meanwhile, on issues of cross-ownership, Atty. Joel Bontuyan of the Energy Regulatory Commission said it would not be disallowed as long as there is no direct contact between concerned agencies, as stated in the Epira law.

There were concerns that the bodies taking charge of power generation, transmission, and even distribution in the country are just similar or related entities who together benefit from rising power rates.

Bontuyan invited the council members to attend today’s consumer education seminar at the Cebu City Social Hall to further enlighten them on energy issues. Archival is sure to attend as committee on energy chairman.

After the public hearing, the City Council set an August 20 executive session to tackle the issued raised by the different groups yesterday. (FREEMAN)