Quinta comm to seek P206 billion energy ‘refund’

MANILA, Philippines — The quinta committee of the House of Representatives has announced that it would “pivot” its previous task of helping achieve cheap food to consumers, and is now bent on pursuing its probes for the purpose of achieving cheap energy.

Albay 2nd District Rep. Joey Salceda, chairman of the House ways and means committee and lead chair of the quinta comm, said the lower chamber, under the leadership of Speaker Martin Romualdez, would seek the “refund” of P206 billion to its consumers, which was “disallowed” in the expenses of the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP).

“The Speaker has issued instructions to go after price excesses in the power sector next. So, we will soon convene a Murang Kuryente Supercommittee. The panel will be taking up issues that have already a clear way forward,” Salceda disclosed.

Among the actions that the supercommittee will take is the “most obvious” – the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC)’s finding of some P206 billion in disallowed public relations, advertising and other expenses in the 2016-2020 period, when the NGCP collected in excess of allowed annual revenues, according to the Bicolano economist-lawmaker, now in his third and last term as district congressman.

“The Energy Regulatory Commission had already released this finding late last year. It’s time for action now. In the distribution sector, when utilities collect in excess of allowed revenues, they usually refund the excess collections without much issue. The transmission sector, a national monopoly, should have no issue doing the same,” he explained.

“Moving forward, the Speaker has also given instructions to study windfall taxes on excessive profits by power sector participants and plow such resources into consumer refunds and Pantawid Kuryente,” he added.

The quinta comm’s previous agenda is the deliberation of House Resolution 254, aimed at addressing rampant smuggling in the agricultural sector that perennially results in the spiraling cost of basic commodities and stoking inflation, to the detriment of consumers.

The panel’s objective, through its inquiries, is the “implementation of government programs to address smuggling and price manipulation of basic goods and essential commodities, mitigate hunger, and promote food and nutrition security.”

Last September, the House plenary adopted a resolution allowing five of its committees to conduct a “joint inquiry” for purposes of introducing an amendment to the law or new legislation that would help thwart massive smuggling and price manipulation, among many other amendments and new laws.

Administration and opposition lawmakers approved on Sept. 25 House Resolution 2036, giving five inter-related committees the go-signal to start investigating reports of unscrupulous businessmen preying on innocent and helpless consumers.

The quinta comm was tasked to hold the probe relative to House resolutions and privilege speeches of its members that have been referred to the panels for purposes of investigating even on its own initiative reports of violations to consumers in general.

Salceda said his ways and means committee would be holding joint probes with the House committees on trade and industry, agriculture and food, social services and special committee on food security – the collaboration of which has been dubbed as the quinta comm.