By Ben R. Rosario
Outraged over the results of a joint congressional investigation into the controversial power supply agreements of the Manila Electric Co., a consumer group dared two House of Representatives panels to show proof that its probe has not been a “shameless whitewash” that favored the Energy Regulatory Commission.
Rodolfo “RJ” Javellana Jr., president of the United Filipino Consumers and Commuters, aired this challenge as he assailed the ERC for its determined bid to award seven multi-trillion peso power supply agreements to Meralco despite the “onerous” terms that would disadvantage consumers and even the government.
In a press statement, Javellana described the results of the probe conducted by the House Committee on Good Government and on Energy as “a shameless whitewash designed to justify Energy Regulatory Commission approval of the onerous and expensive Meralco PSAs.”
“The House inquiry earlier uncovered ERC irregularities that favored the Meralco PSAs. In fact, four of the five-man en banc body of the ERC had been suspended for bending their rules to accommodate the Meralco PSAs. Yet the results of the House investigation completely ignored all these findings,” Javellana noted.
The consumer welfare activist added: “The House report’s silence about alleged ERC corruption and its link to ERC’s decision to accept the Meralco PSAs past deadline is highly suspicious.”
He warned that Meralco and ERC is expected to use the House probe results “to wrap a fake cloak of legitimacy in approving these PSAs.”
