SC extends TRO on Meralco rate hike anew

MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court en banc on Tuesday extended for the third time the temporary restraining order (TRO) on the controversial P4.15 kilowatt-hour rate increase of the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco).

Voting 10-4, the high court this time extended the halt order for an indefinite period, SC spokesman Theodore Te said.

The TRO was in response to a plea filed by lawmakers from the "Makabayan" bloc of the House of Representatives last week.

In an eight-page urgent motion, petitioners led by Bayan Muna Representatives Neri Colmenares and Isagani Zarate similar argued that millions of power consumers will be charged the staggering new rate despite "prima facie evidence" of collusion of suppliers.

Read: SC asked to extend TRO on Meralco rate hike

"This circumstance will result in grave and irreparable injury to petitioners, as well as millions of Meralco consumers,” they said.

They also requested an extension of the TRO, enjoining generation companies and power suppliers from demanding and collecting generation charges from Meralco, which the company failed to pay after the court stopped its rate hike. - Camille Diola