SENATE President Win Gatchalian on Tuesday called on the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to penalize non-compliant energy stakeholders to prevent unwarranted increases in electricity rates.
Gatchalian said that while electricity spot market prices in Luzon averaged P4.80 per kilowatt-hour (kWh), rates reached P18.59/kWh in Visayas and P19.56/kWh in Mindanao, regions that experienced over 120 grid alerts.
"Beyond the brownout alerts, electricity prices in the Visayas and Mindanao are extremely high. We cannot let this slide; the DOE needs to provide a concrete solution," he said, urging regulatory bodies to protect consumers from market exploitation and systemic grid failures.
The Senate leader instructed energy authorities to enforce strict regulatory oversight against underperforming power generation companies.
"If power generation players are underperforming or engaging in abusive practices, they must face heavy penalties," Gatchalian stressed. "The DOE, as the policymaker, and the ERC, as the regulator, must work together. The public is fed up with high electricity bills and brownouts. Therefore, we will continue to press and keep a close watch on the DOE and the ERC until this crisis is resolved."
Gatchalian also urged the DOE to conduct audits of fuel pass-through charges.
