Palace probes Tiglao report on power rates

Malacañang on Wednesday said it is looking into the claim of The Manila Times columnist Rigoberto Tiglao that the Philippines has the fifth highest electricity rates in the world.

In his column, Tiglao wrote that based on Meralco’s tariffs (using residential rates of 200 kilowatt hours per month consumption), which averaged 24 US cents per kilowatt hour in 2013, the price Filipinos pay for electricity is even more expensive than Japan and the US. Palace spokesman Edwin Lacierda said that he asked Energy Secretary Jericho Petilla to verify Tiglao’s claim.