📷Bayan Muna Chairperson Neri Colmenares
Bayan Muna Chairperson Neri Colmenares has criticized the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) over the lack of transparency regarding transmission rates and the implications of China’s significant ownership stake, amid the recent power rate hike announced by Meralco for the third consecutive month.
“Bayan Muna asks ERC to stop the almost monthly increase in electricity rates including the latest increase resulting from the transmission charges of NGCP. Noong summer sabi ng Meralco mataas ang singil dahil mainit. Ngayong tapos na ang summer, dagdag singil pa rin dahil daw nagtaas si NGCP. Yan ang problema ng privatization, walang pakundangang singilan para lumaki ang tubo. The NGCP is one of the most opaque companies in the Philippines and its abuse of its monopoly of transmission must be stopped “ said Colmenares
“Years back, we have already sounded the alarm on National Grid Corporation of the Philippines’ (NGCP) lack of transparency, whether on the issue of its transmission rates or the impact on national security of China being the largest stockholder of NGCP,” stated Colmenares. “China is a threat and the public must be informed of this. Dapat hindi na NGCP yan kundi NGCC—the National Grid Corporation of China.”
Colmenares highlighted concerns about the reported P14.4 billion passed on to consumers from 2009 to 2022 for janitorial and security services, public relations, entertainment, and advertising. He emphasized the need for transparency, stating, “The role of China in NGCP cannot be trivialized.”
He further questioned whether NGCP is imposing unjustly heavy rates on consumers, given the lack of transaction transparency. “The rates of NGCP have not been reviewed for more than ten years now, and it is high time that NGCP undergoes an independent audit so that a rate reset may be implemented if its transmission rates are found to be unjustly high,” Colmenares added.
Bayan Muna Executive Vice-President Carlos Isagani Zarate also called for transparency regarding any and all potential threats posed by China’s ownership of NGCP.
“China’s threat to our security is of public concern. We ask Congress and the Senate to conduct a thorough investigation on these potential threats and allow the people to know the real score with regards to China’s threat to the country through its control of the grid,” Zarate concluded.
The progressive leaders demand that the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) publish its latest audit of NGCP and expedite a thorough audit of its financial and operational status to ensure the rates imposed on the public are just and transparent.#
