Former Bayan Muna Party-list Representative Neri Colmenares has challenged the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) to produce the specific legal justification for charging ordinary consumers the costs of subsidies intended for senior citizens and low-income households.
In a video statement released Wednesday, the human rights lawyer clarified that the public is not questioning the necessity of the discounts, but rather the mechanism of who pays for them.
Colmenares pointed out that unlike other industries where the government effectively covers the cost through tax breaks, the power industry appears to be passing the burden directly to other customers.
“Sabi ng Meralco may batayan daw sa batas ang pagbigay ng discount sa senior citizens at mahihirap natin sa singil ng kuryente. Pero hindi yan ang tanong ng taumbayan,” Colmenares said. “Ang tanong ng taumbayan: Ano ang expressed at specific na probisyon ng batas na nagsasabing singilin nyo yan sa consumers.”
Colmenares drew a sharp comparison to the expanded Senior Citizens Act, noting that when restaurants provide a 20% discount, they do not increase the prices for other diners to compensate for the loss.
“Pero sa batas na yun, klaro kung sino ang sisingilin sa 20% discount. Nakalagay sa batas tax deduction yun ng restaurant owner so gobyerno ang magbabayad nyan,” he explained. “Ngayon nagulat tayong lahat bakit napakaraming singilin sa Meralco bill at hinihingi lang natin anong batas na nagsasabing singilin nyo yan sa consumers. Kaya sana naman si Meralco sagutin ito.”
The former lawmaker emphasized that while social subsidies are vital for vulnerable sectors, the financial responsibility should fall on the state or be absorbed by the utility giant through tax deductions, rather than being added to the monthly bills of other consumers who are often struggling themselves.
“Napaka-importante ng discounts sa senior citizens at sa ating mahihirap, hindi yan kinukuwestyon ng bayan, pero dahil importante siya sa mamamayan dapat gobyerno ang sasagot nyan,” he stressed.
Turning his criticism toward the national government, Colmenares questioned the lack of direct funding for these subsidies, contrasting the relatively small cost of the power discounts with the massive budgets allocated to other infrastructure projects.
“Ito naman sa gobyerno: Bakit hindi nyo i-subsidize? Bakit ayaw nyong i-subsidize ang mga subsidy sa mahihirap? Meron kayong hundreds of millions sa flood control project, wala kayong ₱200 million to ₱250 million kada taon para sa mga subsidies na ito,” Colmenares said.
“Parang hindi yata katanggap-tanggap yan. Bakit nyo ipasa sa amin, bakit hindi saluhin ng gobyerno at bakit hindi pwedeng ang Meralco o sinumang supplier i-tax deduction na lang nila ang mga subsidies na yan kesa sa sisingilin sa mahirap na konsumer.”