MANILA, Philippines - Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares lauded the decision of the Supreme Court to a 60-day temporary restraining order to stop both the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) and Meralco from implementing the P4.15 power rate increase. “We’re happy that the Supreme Court issued the TRO…it is a very welcome relief and timely also because the petitioners and the people have been asking the court to issue the TRO as a form of Christmas gift to the Filipino people,” he told ANC. Bayan Muna is among the petitioners against the power rate hike along with a group led by the National Association of Electricity Consumers for Reforms (Nasecore), Federation of Village Associations (Fova), and Federation of Las Pinas Homeowners Association (Folpha). The high court issued a 60-day temporary restraining order to stop the power rate increase. "In a resolution dated Dec. 23, 2013, the court issued today a temporary restraining order in these 2 cases, which it also ordered consolidated," Supreme Court spokesman Theodore Te said. "Effective immediately and for a period of 60 days, respondent ERC, Meralco are hereby enjoined from implementing its December 9, 2013 order and acting further on the letter request of Meralco dated Dec. 5, 2013, and respondent Meralco, its agents, representatives, are hereby enjoined from increasing the rates it charges to its customers based on the matters it raised in its December 5, 2013 letter. The TRO was issued under the authority of the Chief Justice and written recommendation of the member in charge," Te added. Oral arguments have been scheduled for January 21, 2014. Colmenares said the House will continue to investigate a possible collusion between power companies to simultaneously shut down. He said the Malampaya consortium, power companies, the Department of Energy and the ERC will be summoned. “We are going to call all these players and ERC and DOE for what we believe is abandonment of their duty to the people and the consumers to protect them from incredibly baseless electricity rate hike,” he said. Colmenares stressed that the ERC shouldn’t have approved the increase. “The circumstances surrounding the shutdown of the power plants were very suspicious to say the least and ERC should have protected consumer interest and the people by not approving the request for a hike and instead investigated a possible collusion between these companies who simultaneously shut down,” he said.
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