Senator Win Gatchalian urged the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to reconsider an earlier decision allowing the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) to charge additional transmission costs to consumers for projects that are yet to be commissioned.

“There is no incentive for them to finish the project kasi nangongolekta na sila. That’s the reason why we saw a lot of delayed projects that led to brownouts,” Gatchalian, chair of the Senate Committee on Finance, said at a hearing on the proposed budget of the Department of Energy and its attached agencies.

The senator was referring to a recent ERC decision on NGCP’s delayed rate reset which shows an under recovery of Php 28.3 billion, which would be collected from consumers. “In short, tayo pa ang may utang sa NGCP,” Gatchalian said.

“Unfair ‘yan sa mga consumers. I don’t agree with paying for projects that are not yet commissioned,” he added, pointing out that even the President called out NGCP for delayed projects that even caused power disruptions in various parts of the country.

Instead of getting penalized for its delayed projects, the NGCP was even awarded because of the ERC’s decision, Gatchalian ended.