Senator Sherwin Gatchalian expressed his belief that any amendment to be made to the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) should result in lower electricity rates.

In a statement on Saturday, July 27, Gatchalian reiterated that the sought amendments were for the benefit of consumers who continue to endure high electricity prices.

“We need to be able to provide not just a steady and sufficient supply but also affordable energy for our consumers. Any amendment in the EPIRA law should be geared towards reducing the price of electricity,” said Gatchalian, who noted that electricity prices in the country remain at high levels.

The senator made the statement following President Marcos’ call for a review of EPIRA in his recent State of the Nation Address (SONA) last July 22,

Gatchalian said he supports the President’s call to amend EPIRA to address issues hounding the energy sector including high prices.

According to the lawmaker, EPIRA should be amended to give the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) more teeth in enforcing accountability among industry players who fail to deliver their mandate.

“ERC plays a critical role in the industry and we want strong provisions in EPIRA that would empower ERC to regulate industry players effectively,” he said.

Gatchalian stressed that the ERC should have enough power to enforce its mandate of protecting the interest of consumers and its charter should foster independence, transparency, and accountability.

“Dapat maging malinaw ang accountability ng mga industry players at magkaroon ng penalty na mararamdaman talaga ng mga violators (There should be clear accountability from industry players and penalties that will really be felt by violators),” he said.