MANILA — Senator Imee R. Marcos has criticized rising electricity bills and urged tighter regulation of power charges, following complaints of increased monthly costs and what she described as “bill shock” among consumers.

Marcos directed her remarks at the Manila Electric Company (Meralco), saying consumers should not be burdened by excessive increases in electricity rates.

“Sa totoo lang, dapat makamura tayo, hindi mapapamura sa mahal!” Marcos said.

The senator said that while there is an ongoing oil crisis, most of the country’s power generation still comes from coal, hydro, and other renewable sources, suggesting that generation costs should not be driving significant increases in electricity bills.

“Dapat ‘yan nasa P0.50 hanggang P1.00 lang ang itataas across the board, hindi yung nangyayari ngayon na doble o triple ng nakaraang bill ang sinisingil!” she added.

Marcos also cited provisions under the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) or Republic Act 9136, saying consumers should be feeling relief from existing discount mechanisms rather than higher charges.

She said the financial burden of subsidies and related costs should be absorbed by large companies rather than passed on to households.

“Yang systems loss na nakalagay sa bill, dapat lagyan nila ng limitasyon ngayong krisis at higit sa lahat, ‘wag naman nilang ipasalo na lang sa Member-Consumer-Owner o MCOs ang pagbabayad diyan,” she said.

Marcos also warned against taking advantage of the ongoing energy situation, particularly with the approach of the hot season and the threat of a strong El Niño event.

She called for a thorough investigation into sudden increases in consumption charges and stricter monitoring of electricity meters.

“Bawat piso mahalaga ngayong krisis. Hindi pwedeng kada buwan may pasabog sa bill. Hindi lang ilaw ang umiinit—ulo ng mga Pilipino ang nagliliyab sa taas ng singil at iba pang gastusin,” Marcos said.