📷House Deputy Minority Leader France Castro
House Deputy Minority Leader France Castro and former ACT Teachers Representative Antonio Tinio today welcomed the House of Representatives move to investigate the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) franchise while pushing for the inclusion of House Resolution 1352 in the probe.
“We support this investigation and urge the House leadership to include HR 1352, which was filed last year specifically to examine NGCP’s questionable expenses that are being passed on to consumers through transmission charges,” Castro stated.
The progressive lawmakers highlighted the massive amounts being charged to consumers. “Dapat walang ipinapasang dagdag singil sa atin ang NGCP na hindi karapat-dapat tulad ng ₱12.2 billion for repairs and maintenance, ₱8.7 billion for janitorial and security services, ₱2.3 billion for public relations and corporate social responsibility activities, ₱1.67 billion for representation and entertainment, and ₱1.1 billion for advertising,” Castro emphasized.
Former Rep. Tinio added, “These expenses are highly questionable and excessive. Why should ordinary consumers shoulder the burden of NGCP’s lavish spending on PR activities and entertainment? This is on top of their delayed projects that the ERC has already penalized them for.”
“The NGCP must be held accountable for every peso they charge consumers. Kailangang mabusisi ang sistema ng paniningil ng NGCP at dapat irefund sa consumers ang mga sobrang siningil nila. We cannot allow this corporation to continue passing on unjustifiable costs to already struggling Filipino families,” Castro concluded.#
