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The Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) may lose its
franchise, if Congress can prove it violated the law or committed
fraud, a lawmaker warned Thursday.
Congress may review Meralco’s
franchise in the investigation that the House of Representatives is
conducting, Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, chairman of the influential
House appropriations committee, told The Manila Times.
Earlier, Camarines Sur Rep. Luis
Villafuerte delivered a privileged speech where he accused Meralco
of overcharging its customers and charging them P13 billion for
“ghost power deliveries.” He said Meralco paid its sister
company, First Gas, P1.08 billion each month for 1,000 megawatts of
electricity when that power plant can only supply 300 megawatts.
Lagman said, “The result of the
investigation of the House Committee on Energy can be used as a
basis to recall their franchise. If they are not complying with the
guidelines in their franchise, then it can be recalled.”
It only takes one lawmaker to
file a bill to recall Meralco’s franchise, but a thorough study
should be done first to determine if there were violations actually
committed, he added.
There are three ways to check if
Meralco made violations, Lagman explained. These include the ongoing
congressional investigation in aid of legislation, or a case may be
filed in court. The third way is for the Energy Regulatory
Commission to investigate if Meralco is applying the correct rates.
House moves
Despite denials by Winston
Garcia, president of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS),
that the government is bent on taking over Meralco, President Gloria
Arroyo’s allies in Congress have started their assault against
Meralco.
“The Villafuerte exposé was
explosive because of its utter simplicity. Nakaabot sa sikmura ng
lahat [It has touched everyone]. It’s close, but no cigar for the
apologists of Meralco. Buking na sila [They’ve been exposed],”
Garcia said.
In his speech, Villafuerte
described the “sweetheart deals” involving Lopez companies, such
as Meralco and First Gas, as “scandalous, anomalous, immoral and
illegal.”
During a Committee on Energy
hearing presided by Pampanga Rep. Juan Miguel Arroyo—one of
President Arroyo’s two sons in Congress—it was found that
besides the system loss charges, Meralco was also collecting hidden
charges from its customers for the company’s electricity usage
amounting to P500 million annually. Earlier reports said Meralco was
charging customers for value-added tax for system loss.
Meralco maintains that it has
done nothing illegal, and that the Energy Regulatory Commission has
approved all of its charges.
--Jomar Canlas And Sammy Martin
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