Anakalusugan party-list Rep. Ray Reyes on Sunday hit the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) after a recent Senate hearing that revealed that it had been charging consumers for its delayed projects.
NGCP assistant vice president Cynthia Alabanza, during the Senate inquiry, said NGCP had been charging consumers for projects that are yet to be completed.
“Charging customers for a project that has not been completed should be considered a criminal act by NGCP,” Reyes lamented. “That is not just that the NGCP continues to earn while the people have to bear the brunt of its delayed projects.”
“The consumers do not experience the benefits of the projects,” he said. He called on the Energy Regulatory Commission to penalize NGCP for its delayed projects that adversely impact the country’s power supply.
“There is no sense of urgency because we don’t hold NGCP accountable for its inaction. As our country’s energy regulatory body, the ERC should make sure that the consumers are not disadvantaged,” he said.
ERC records showed that there are currently 72 delayed NGCP projects, including six energy projects of national significance, he cited.
“NGCP continues to encounter repeated problems, and that we have to make it accountable,” he said.