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Philippines
Wednesday, February 12, 2025
26.1 C
Philippines
Wednesday, February 12, 2025

SC: ERC authorized to collect bill deposits from consumers

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The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) can require consumers to pay bill deposits as security for their electric bills, according to the Supreme Court (SC).

The High Court sitting en banc denied the petition by Neri Colmenares and others challenging the ERC’s authority to allow distribution utilities, such as the Manila Electric Company (Meralco), to collect bill deposits from their consumers.

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The SC affirmed it as a valid exercise of the ERC’s rate-fixing power to ensure the economic viability of electricity distributors.

It said judicial review requires an actual and completed government action that adversely affects the petitioners.

The High Tribunal added that since the ERC’s Rules on Bill Deposits are still under development, there is no final act to challenge.  

In 2019, Colmenares and others filed their petition before the court arguing that the bill deposit requirement lacked adequate regulations, which was denied for being premature.

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