Mahal na Pangulong Duterte, Pwede Po Kaya After TRAIN, “NO to Gravy TRAIN” naman?

David Celestra Tan, MSK
23 January 2018

The way the electric consumers are being stirred up against the Duterte administrations TRAIN it is as if they are being thrown literally under the train.

Of course anytime taxes and utility rates are added, it is a burden to the Filipinos as consumers. But there are necessary and even painful burdens of citizenship and there are unnecessary and avoidable burdens.

Ironically, which one is imposed on the consumers either them as taxpayer or as fuel and utility consumers, depends on the government.

What has been going on in the Philippines is ugly. The government imposes taxes on utility inputs like fuel that are then passed on to the consumers in the name of supporting government programs but it will not do anything to protect the consumers from abuse by the powerful interests. We are forgetting that electricity service that was supposed to be VAT exempt under the Epira Law was imposed a 12% VAT tax in 2004.  Filipinos feel like both the government and the utilities (electricity, water, telephone, airlines) are ganging up on them.

Don’t you love it when utilities say they are looking after the consumers while they are abusing them more?

In the on- going additional pain inflicted by TRAIN, consumers should be sympathetic as a matter of patriotic duty and contribution to nation building. Let us brave it and give President Duterte the benefit of the doubt that those revenues will be put to better use. Meralco said TRAIN will add up to P0.10 per kwh to their customers electric bill.  But that is for now that about 35% of Meralco’s power supply mix is Malampaya natural gas. When their supply kicks up to 80% coal as they want with their sister company Meralco PowerGen, it is going to be probably P0.20 per kwh.

Those additional taxes the consumers should be able to survive.

What has been an unnecessary burden is being abandoned by the government and be left for dead under the oligarchs gravy train. We estimate that these have been costing the consumers a total of P1.00 to P1.50 per kwh.

The government’s apathy towards truly stepping up for the consumers is just mystifying and one of our country’s sad tragedies.

Mahal na Pangulong Duterte, pwede po kaya mabigyan ng pansin ang “No to Power Gravy TRAIN” naman?

MatuwidnaSingilsaKuryente Consumer Alliance Inc.
matuwid.org
david.mskorg@yahoo.com