‘Gawad Kawatan’
Consumer Groups, Militants Spoil Meralco's Centennial Celebration

"Meralco celebrates while its customers suffer from the crashing burden of exorbitant power rates and immoral and illegal charges like the PPA." Thus came the message from a consumer leader as militant groups showered Meralco’s centennial anniversary, along with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, with “Gawad Kawatan” (Looter’s Award) awards.

By Gerry Albert Corpuz 
Bulatlat.com

"Only the Lopezes are celebrating Meralco's centennial. Meralco consumers have only contempt for this company's century-long greed and deception," says Lolita Donato, spokesperson of consumer groups Power or People Opposed to Warrantless Electricity Rates and Alerto Mamimili on the 100th anniversary of the power utility monopoly.

Militant groups last week staged a series of protest actions at the main office of Meralco on Ortigas Avenue, Pasig City to denounce the 11.5-centavo power rate hike announced by Meralco coinciding with its centennial anniversary.

Power and Alerto Mamimili bestowed Meralco the "Gawad Kawatan" award featuring 11-inch "gold medals" and bearing the words "100 taong pandurugas sa masa" (100 years of deception of the masses).

The "Gawad Kawatan" awardees also included President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) for allowing Meralco to again hike the Purchased Power Adjustment (PPA) and for not stopping the company’s petition for "unbundled rates" which, Power warns, would effect more hikes in electricity rates.

Donato stressed: "Meralco celebrates while its customers suffer from the crashing burden of exorbitant power rates and immoral and illegal charges like the PPA."

Power and Alerto Mamimili asserted that Meralco PPAs have continued to rise in the last few months despite President Macapagal-Arroyo's promise to lower them. This March, the PPA stands at 2.89 per kilowatt-hour compared to P2.74 last month.

Conspiracy

Anakpawis, a national political organization of workers, farmers, urban poor, fisherfolk and Filipino youth accused Malacañang and Meralco of conspiracy over the latest round of PPA hike and shoo-in-approval of ERC on Meralco's proposed unbundling of rates.

Anakpawis vice chair and known urban poor leader Carmen "Nanay Mameng" Deunida described the 11.5-centavo hike in PPA charges as "national robbery in broad daylight.” "President Arroyo approved extravagant bonanzas to Meralco on the occasion of its 100th year of plunder, lies and deception," she said.

Another Anakpawis leader, Sammy Malunes said: "Come what may, we will not stop from exposing and opposing the joint criminal activities of Malacañang and Meralco. We will take this as a major class battle, nothing more, nothing less."

Additional charges

Renato Reyes, Jr., leading anti-PPA crusader and spokesperson of the militant group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan-New Patriotic Alliance), earlier predicted that aside from the 11.5 centavo PPA hike, additional charges will be carried in Meralco's billing next month.

Reyes also said additional charges will include an average of 85 centavos per kilowatt-hour which accounts for the reduction in Napocor's PPA pegged by Macapagal-Arroyo to 40 centavos last year as a result of widespread protests.

Meralco's recovery of P5.7 billion representing deferred PPA; the increase in Meralco's basic rate between 30 centavos to P 1.12 and universal charges coming from the P200 billion outstanding debts of Napocor after the privatization of its power plants last year.

The Bayan leader added the new Generation Rate Adjustment Mechanism (Gram) that would replace the PPA will also carry additional charges that would come from payments on loans that Meralco would use as advances for the deferred Gram.

Under the Gram, utilities like Meralco would defer collection of increased generation rates for at least three months and a maximum of six months. "There seems to be no end to power rate hikes under the ERC and Meralco," Reyes said adding that it was obvious ERC and Meralco are in constant agreement with regards the power rate increases.

Power urged Congress to stop the Meralco's merrymaking. "Itigil na ang happy-happy ng mga magnanakaw like Meralco. Dismantle this hoodlum monopoly of the Lopezes now."

"We hope Congress would do something to the worst business practices of Meralco and it could start by ensuring that consumers get back the P29-billion in overcharges," the consumer group said.

AGILE behind Epira law?

At the House, Bayan Muna party list Rep. Crispin Beltran asked his colleagues to investigate the possible involvement of the USAID-funded lobby group Development Alternatives Incorporated (DAI), the chief implementor of Accelerating Growth Investment and Liberalization with Equity (AGILE) in the passage of the controversial Epira law in 2001, few weeks after Macapagal-Arroyo took over the presidency from Joseph Estrada.

Beltran said the Epira law could be the handiwork of DAI-AGILE because the lobby group's clients stood to gain from the full-blown privatization of Napocor. The activist solon made the statement after Manuel Sanchez, ex-chief of the National Electrification Administration, bared last week that the President bribed congressmen by as much as P2.5 million to ensure the passage of Epira law.

Sanchez said Macapagal-Arroyo ordered him to release P470 million and distribute P2.5 million paychecks to congressmen for the approval of the power reform bill in 2001.

Pamalakaya, a left-leaning fisherfolk group supported Beltran's move to seek a congressional inquiry into the alleged presidential payoff to legislators in favor of Epira law. "President Arroyo's cruel intention was clearly established,” the group said in a statement. “The president released the money at the time the power reform act was being deliberated in Congress. Coincidence? We don't think so." Bulatlat.com

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