(Multa ng power industry players pinagagamit ng ERC ) REFUND SA CUSTOMERS NA APEKTADO NG BROWNOUT

ITINUTULAK ng Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) na gamitin ang multang babayaran ng lalabag na power industry players bilang refund sa mga consumer na apektado ng power outages.

Ito ang panukalang amendment ng ERC sa Republic Act 9136 o ang Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) of 2001, sa gitna ng isinasagawang imbestigasyon sa four-day widespread blackout na nagparalisa sa Western Visayas kamakailan.

Sinabi ng ERC na ipinanukala ito ng chairperson at CEO ng komisyon na si Monalisa Dimalanta sa House probe sa region-wide power outage noong Huwebes.

Binibigyan ng EPIRA ang ERC ng kapangyarihan na magpataw ng multa na mula P50,000 hanggang P50 million para sa mga paglabag ng power industry players.

Gayunman, ang nakolektang penalties ng ERC ay nire-remit sa National Treasury.

“In fact, one of the recommendations that we made for the EPIRA amendment is to [give] ERC the authority to order the application of penalties for return, either in the form of refunds or discounts, to the consumers that suffer the inconvenience or the violation that resulted in the interruption of service,” sabi ni  Dimalanta.

“Right now, we don’t have the authority. But if there is an amendment in the law, then we can have that authority to make the application,” dagdag ng  ERC chief.

In the first week of 2024, Panay Island was crippled by a massive power outage after multiple trippings of power plants.