10 Good Things the ERC Can Do For Consumers in 2017 For It to Rebuild its Image
David Celestra Tan, MSK
7 January 2017
ERC’s image as an honest to goodness regulator that is true to its mandate as a guardian of public interest in power delivery services is for now tarnished. The following are some of what it might do to recover and regain public trust and respectability.
1. To recognize, and assume a regulatory mindset in handling petitions for rate approvals, that as the regulator it has its own duty to insure against market abuse, monopolization, cartelization, and anti-competitive behavior. It is the one mandated by law and does not need the participation of the consumers and advocacy groups. If any, ERC should seek out the additional input of the affected consumers.
2. To have the humility and patriotism to rectify the misjudgment of extending the CSP deadline of November 6, 2015 to April 30, 2016 that was spearheaded by Chairman Salazar that resulted in the MVP Group evading the CSP for 80% of its energy needs from 3,551mw of midnight power supply contracts signed four (4) days before the new deadline and filed just the day before on April 29, 2016 and all controlled by its sister company Meralco PowerGen.
Unless ERC resolves this mysterious deferment of the CSP, it will be forever tainted with a corrupt image. Too big, too suspicious, too obvious, too blatant. Too insulting to the intelligence of Filipinos…and of President Digong Duterte and his team.
As a minimum, to work for a feasible solution to somehow make it up to the consumers by bringing in an era of true competition in the generation sector. An option is for ERC and DOE to cause a win-win solution where Meralco PowerGen will give up equitably half of the 3,551mw of its midnight contracts. Starting with the dropping of the obviously not ready Atimonan One and half of those with multi-contracts like Global Business, San Miguel, and Semirara.
If it can order immediately the holding of competitive bidding to assure sufficient power while there is still time.
Resolve first whether the 3,551mw of contracts being applied for by Meralco and Meralco PowerGen does not violate Epira provisions on market power abuse, anti-competitive behavior, and will not result to cartelization of the power generation sector. As a condition of partial processing of applications, to elicit a long term commitment from Meralco to cooperate and commit henceforth to the true competitive bidding of power generation contracts in the future.
3. If ERC really means to encourage continued investments in the generation sector, to create a level playing field where there is an assurance to truly independent generator investors of open access to the distribution market through an honest to goodness and consistent implementation of the CSP program. (This is not the same as rules on open access for consumers under RCOA). There is no shortage of interested investors both local and foreign but the Meralco market is closed to only the chosen ones by the MVP Group, and usually to those willing to be minority partners of Meralco PowerGen. The rent-seeking component effectively becomes additional cost to the consumers.
4. To truly address the Petition of MSK for the refund of the estimated P2.39 to P5.0 Billion in overrecovery of the under recovery of the 2nd regulatory reset. Justice delayed is justice denied to consumers. Why does the ERC seem to be taking this lightly?
5. To address the Petition of MSK for rules change and review of the Performance Based Rate setting methodology that is giving Meralco undue profits from investments it had not incurred contrary to the specific provision of Section 25 of the Epira Law.
6. To review and close the loophole of the Systems Loss charge rules by setting 8.5% as the maximum that ANY customer can be charged and to impose a more transparent way of monthly computations instead of just relying on the self-serving certification of the finance officer of Meralco under the current rule.
7. To disclose the true facts of the market manipulation case against the generators/market participants who exploited the market in December 2013 that caused a 90% jump in generation rate in one month. Once again, justice delayed is justice denied.
8. To Come out clean on what corruption really caused a professional and conscience driven public servant like Atty. Jun Villa to take his own life and to truly honor his public service spirit by not demeaning him with a whitewash. To show the world that ERC is honest and is making decisions for the best interest of the consumers as it is mandated by the law that created it.
9. To Improve the efficiency of its bureaucracy by streamlining its regulatory coverage and processes. Avoid over regulating and at the same time focus on things that need regulating for the general good of consumers.
10. To be less rigidly Judicial in its processes and more of being Quasi for the interest of consumers. It should not act as an impartial judge for it has its own obligation to look after the public interest. Petitions for rate approval should not be a court trial where there is an applicant and an oppositor. ERC itself is an interested party who must be convinced by the applicant that their proposed projects will not violate market-abuse , monopolization, and cartelization rules and the rate is just and reasonable and comply with CSP rules.
Part of this is to Create a Consumers Advocacy Office that will assist concerned consumers and groups by providing legal advice and guidance, research and clerical facilities including internet access, document preparations. Provide media access so the public will know the sentiments of consumers. This is to balance ERC’s approval of the media and legal budget that is part of the regulatory compliance expenses of Meralco that run into hundreds of millions a year and paid for by the consumers.
These actually are easy to do if ERC will be in touch with its regulatory soul, be faithful to its regulatory mandate under the law, and for it to be clear on for whom its bell tolls. It’s the consumers.
Happy New ERC Year!
Matuwid na Singil sa Kuryente Consumer Alliance Inc.
Matuwid.org
Email: david.mskorg@yahoo.com
