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BINALAAN ng Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) ang Manila Electric Company (Meralco) na huwag pumasok sa anti-competitive practices partikular sa ongoing competitive selection process (CSP) para sa 1800-megawatt (MW) baseload capacity.
Sa pagdinig ng House Committee on Legislative Franchises nitong nakaraang Miyerkoles, sinabi ERC Chairperson Monalisa Dimalanta, dapat tiyakin ng Meralco na hindi nito lilimitahan ang bilang ng potential bidders.
Sinabi ni Dimalanta, nagpadala sila ng sulat sa Meralco ukol sa kanilang obserbasyon na published bid invite.
Sa kasakukuyan ay mayroong anim na potential bidders para sa CSP at ito ay ang mga sumusunod: GNPower Dinginin (GNPD), First NatGas Power, SP New Energy, Mariveles Power Generation, Excellent Energy Resources, at Masinloc Power Partners.
“We already raised with Meralco our concerns on the limited number of potential participants that could participate (to the CSP),” ani Dimanlata sa mga mambabatas.
Iginiit ni Dimalanta, bilang regulator ng power industry ay mandato ng ERC na mag-promote ng kompetisyon, encourage market development, ensure customer choice, at parusahan ang mga umaabuso sa market power sa industrya.
Sa naturang pagdinig ay tahasang tinukoy ni congressman Dan Fernandez ng Lone District ng Santa Rosa, Laguna na ang terms of reference para sa CSP ay pumapabor sa isang power firms lalo ang mga power plant na maaari lamang sumali sa auction kung ang operasyon ng planta ay hindi mas maaga sa Enero 2020 at hindi lalampas ng May 2025.
“That is also our concern, so we laid it out to Meralco in our letter to them that we will submit to the committee,” dagdag ni Dimalanta.
Dahil dito, hinimok ni Fernandez ang ERC na agad kumilos sa irregular terms na itinakda ng Meralco para sa 1,800 MW of electric supply na umano’y bid out na sa kompanyang may tailor-fitted sa utility conditions.
Kaugnay nito, hiniling ni Fernandez sa ERC na utusan ang Meralco na ipatigil ang pag-proceed ng bidding hanggang masuri at mapag-aralan nang tuluyan ang terms of reference (TOR).
Naniniwala si Fernandez, ang masusing pag-aaral sa TOR ay magpapakita na nagpapatupad ang Meralco ng anti-competitive at diskriminasyon.
Magugunitang nauna nang inakusahan ni Fernandez ang Meralco na pagiging “monopsony” na nangangahulugang nakikinabang mula sa “market situation with only one buyer.”
“Meralco, now a giant utility, ‘is the one dictating terms to the suppliers.’ Your invitation to bid was for 1,800 MW, your provision for your power supply agreement calls for 1,800 MW and if I may read, what you also said in that provision of your bidding — single or portfolio plant provided a power plant should be in commercial operation not earlier than January 22, 2020,” ani Fernandez.
Ani Fernandez, ito ang magpapatunay sa kanyang akusasyong monopsony matapos na hindi isama o payagang makasama sa bidding ang iba pang power plants.
“You have said in your power supply agreement in the bidding, ‘hey power plants that have not started operations in January 2020 to May 2025, you can’t join, you are all excluded. That is trademarking, that is branding. That’s tailor fitting, that’s illegal in accordance with the PCC (Philippine Competitive Commission) and international agreement which states that trademarking is prohibited, it does not allow ‘tailor-fitting’,” dagdag ni Fernandez.
Dahil sa ginawang ito ng Meralco, sinabi ni Fernandez, na nabigong ipatupad ang “competitive selection process (CSP).”
“Your responsibility to us (is only as) a distribution utility only. You have to get least cost. How can you get least cost if many power plants are excluded?” giit ni Fernandez.
Magugunitang nauna nang ipinanawagan sa Kongreso ni Fernandez na hatiin sa tatlo ang mega-franchise ng Meralco.
“It’s high time we renew its franchise to pave the way for the split of the mega-franchise we granted Meralco. If possible, we can split it into three franchises since Meralco actually operates in three sectors in Luzon — NCR (National Capital Region), South Luzon (Calabarzon) and North Luzon sector of Pampanga and Bulacan,” pahayag ni Fernandez sa kanyang privilege speech.
Tiniyak ni Meralco VP and Head of Corporate Communications Joe Zaldarriaga na ang kompanya ay sumusunod sa lahat ng ipinapatupad na regulasyon at higit pa sa serbisyong hinihingi ng regulator.
“Further, while Meralco is the largest utility in the country, it has never committed and has no record of any anti-competitive behavior or abuse of market power. On the contrary, we have always managed to supply electricity to our customers in the most transparent and least cost manner,” ani Zaldarriaga. (NIÑO ACLAN)
