Electric companies are gaining billions in profit because they charge system losses to the public, while consumers suffer from poverty.
This remains the firm sentiment of Senate Committee on Energy Chairman Erwin Tulfo as he urged electric companies to cooperate in removing system loss charges from the electric bills of ordinary Filipinos.
“The community is drowning in debt and poverty while they gain billions in profit by draining the consumers dry.”
“Where is the concept of social responsibility in all of these? The community is drowning in debt and poverty while they gain billions in profit by draining the consumers dry,” a visibly irate Tulfo said in a radio interview.
“It’s unfair. Why should consumers bear the brunt of these system losses? The electric companies are the ones responsible for their own losses,” the legislator added.
The lawmaker vowed to complete committee hearings before the year ends to revamp policies that currently allow companies to pass system loss charges onto consumers.
“Let’s lighten the load of Filipinos and remove system loss charges. If you look at the bill, it’s only a few hundred pesos, but it’s a big deal for our poor countrymen. That could already buy rice or fuel—it really is a big help,” the senator emphasized.
“Don’t just keep taking—give back a little, too.”
“These distributors and generation companies have social responsibilities too. Try to cooperate. Don’t just keep taking—give back a little, too,” he further stated.
Tulfo also highlighted that the 25-year-old Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001 (EPIRA) urgently needs amendments to fulfill its core mandate: providing low-cost electricity to Filipinos.
It may be recalled that as soon as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s call for the legislature to push for policies eliminating system loss charges, Tulfo filed the following legislative measures:
– Senate Resolution No. 537: A resolution to investigate the policy of passing system loss charges onto consumers
– Senate Bill No. 2239: Repeal of BP 36 (“Energy Tax Law”)
– Senate Bill No. 2340: Exempting system loss charges from Value-Added Tax (VAT)
The Senate Energy Panel Chairman is committed to halt the suffering of Filipino consumers from skyrocketing electricity prices, especially with the political will provided by the administration.
