The call to investigate the controversial pass-through charges on electricity bills in gaining traction in the House of Representatives.

The latest solon to seek such congressional inquiry is Assistant Minority Leader Bagong Henerasyon (BH) Party-list Rep. Robert Nazal, who wants to find out whether or not such charges on consumers are fair and equitable.

Nazal filed in the current 20th Congress House Resolution (HR) No. 976, amid the mounting complaints by residents being served by the Manila Electric Company (Meralco)--the country’s largest power distributor--on the huge increases in their billings the past few months.

“Ngayon, ang kuryente ay lalo pang nagiging mahal at lalo pang nagiging mahirap intindihin. Noong Abril 2026, muling tumaas ang singil sa kuryente. Pero higit pa sa pagtaas ng presyo, mas nakaka alarma ang natutuklasan ng ating mga kababayan kapag tinitignan nila nang mabuti ang kanilang bill,” said Nazal in a recent privilege speech.

(Today, electricity is becoming even more expensive and harder to understand. In April 2026, power rates rose again. But beyond the price hike, what alarms our people more is what they discover when they look closely at their bill.)

According to Nazal, consumers are now discovering that they are not just paying for the power that they actually utilized, but for the entire system in which the power sector now operates.

All the charges being collected by Meralco as reflected in the monthly electricity bill of its customers are the result of Republic Act (RA) No. 9136 or the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) of 2001.

What was supposed to promote transparency and efficiency has now become what the ranking aolon describes as being “so layered and technical that the ordinary Filipino can no longer fully understand what he or she is paying for".

“Hindi na talaga lubos na maunawaan ng ating mga mamamayan kung ano ang ibig sabihin ng mga charges sa kanilang Meralco bill at kung bakit tuloy-tuloy ang pagtaas ng singil sa kanila kahit wala naman pagbabago sa konsumo nila,” he noted.

(Our citizens can no longer fully understand what the charges on their Meralco bill mean, or why their rates keep increasing even when their consumption has not changed.)

Consumers pay the generation charge, transmission, distribution, ancillary service and market fees, system loss, universal charges, renewable energy, and the lifeline subsidy.

“At higit sa lahat, may buwis. Buwis sa generation. Buwis sa system loss. Buwis sa subsidy. Buwis sa halos lahat. Kapag pinagsama-sama ang lahat na ito, malinaw ang isang katotohanan—na tayong mga konsumer ang sumasalo sa lahat,” he added.

(And above all, there are taxes. Taxes on generation. Taxes on system loss. Taxes on subsidy. Taxes on almost everything. When all of these are added up, one truth is clear—that we consumers bear it all.)

Earlier raising these same sentiments was Murang Kuryente Party-list Rep. Arthur Yap, who filed HR No. 965 to look into the same pass-through charges.

Quezon City 4th district Rep. Jesus "Bong" Suntay and APEC Party-list Rep. Sergio Dagooc have also publicly slammed the electric bill shocks last week and are asking for concrete action. 

Nazal noted that it is the middle class who are bearing the brunt of all these charges since they are not entitled to subsidies or discounts enjoyed by the other sectors.

“Ang guro, ang nurse, ang empleyado, ang maliliit na negosyante, ang magulang na pilit na pinagkakasya ang sweldo para sa pagkain, matrikula, at kuryente. Hindi sila magnanakaw ng kuryente. Hindi sila kwalipikado sa subsidy. Wala silang diskwento. Pero sila ang nagbabayad ng lahat,” the BH Party-list solon said.

(The teacher, the nurse, the employee, the small business owner, the parent struggling to stretch their salary for food, tuition, and electricity. They do not steal electricity. They do not qualify for subsidies. They have no discounts. Yet they pay for everything.)

In calling for an inquiry, Nazal explained that he, just like every other Meralco customer, is asking for clarity, accountability and fairness in what is being collected from them every month.

Nazal also urged the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to “exercise utmost caution in approving any rate increases or adjustments that may further burden consumers without full verification or underlying costs".

“Ang hinihingi ng ating mga mamamayan ay huwag na pabigatin nang higit pa sa nararapat. At the end of the day, this is not about numbers. Sa huli, ito ay tungkol sa pamilyang Pilipino na tumitingin sa kanilang bill at nag-iisip king kakayanin pa nila ang susunod na buwan,” he said.

(What our people ask is not to be burdened beyond what is fair. At the end of the day, this is not about numbers. In the end, this is about the Filipino family looking at their bill and wondering if they can still manage the next month.)