Consumer welfare is getting sidetracked in the ongoing controversy involving the Energy Regulatory Commission, which is in danger of being abolished as announced by Congress.
Action for Consumerism and Transparency in Nation Building, a non-government consumer advocate, warned that the controversy might further delay the full implementation of retail competition and open access in the electric power industry.
“Who benefits from this turmoil? I am sure it is not the consumer because every time RCOA is delayed, they end up paying the price,” said Jake Silo, spokesperson of Action.
He said before the controversy erupted last month, the industry finally gained momentum on RCOA, which suffered years of delay until the current ERC leadership set it in motion earlier this year, after 15 years in the making.
In May, the ERC promulgated a definite timeline for mandatory contestability and new safeguards against collusion. There was an attempt to derail these twin moves, but the Supreme Court temporarily set aside an injunction issued by the Pasig regional trial court, citing the grave and irreparable injury it posed on the energy industry, the Philippine economy and electricity end-users.
The SC order paved the way for the implementation of mandatory contestability by February next year.