Skip to content

Philippines Today

home of the Global Filipino

Menu
  • News Stories
  • Regional News
  • Business & Economy
  • Science & Technology
  • International
Menu

P13-B class suit filed vs Meralco

Posted on June 27, 2008

PHILIPPINE NEWS SERVICE — A CONSUMERS group yesterday filed a class suit against the Lopez-owned Manila Electric Company seeking the refund of at least P13 billion in alleged illegal fees collected by Meralco from its customers since 1994 up to present.

Calling itself the Refund Energy Fees Unjustly Debited or REFUND, the group asked the Makati Regional Trial Court to issue a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction that would prevent Meralco from further collecting pass-on charges to its millions of subscribers.

Leonard de Vera, former president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, led the filing of the 36-page complaint against Meralco.

Aside from the TRO and preliminary injunction against the collection of system loss charges by the Meralco, the group also asked the court to order the utility firm to open its books for auditing and accounting.

De Vera represents the group Equal Justice For All Movement, one of the 89 member-organization s of REFUND, which also include the anti-crime watchdog Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption led by Dante Jimenez.

The other defendants in the lawsuit are the National Power Corporation and the Energy Regulatory Commission.

De Vera said that in the first quarter of the year alone, Meralco earned P665 million in net profit and yet they collected from consumers P10billion in metering charges, and P2.8 billion for the pension of the company’s retiring employees last year.

He reiterated that the utility company declared the interests in the so-called metering charges as dividends, which they divided among themselves.

“More revolting and unconscionable is defendant Meralco’s admission that for the year 2007, it passed on and collected from here-in class plaintiffs the total amount of P531 million worth of electricity which it used for its own offices and other facilities as part of its so-called system losses,” De Vera said.

The plaintiff sought another TRO to stop ERC and Napocor from granting Meralco’s further requests for an increase in electricity rates.

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • More
  • Tumblr
  • Reddit

Related

News Categories

  • Announcement (34)
  • Business & Economy (1,567)
  • Comment and Opinion (74)
    • Random Thoughts (18)
  • Current Issues (425)
    • Charter Change (1)
    • Election (228)
    • Population (6)
  • International (389)
  • Life In Japan (66)
    • Everything Japan (41)
  • Literary (34)
  • Miscellaneous (610)
  • News Stories (5,312)
  • OFW Corner (297)
  • Others (75)
  • People (408)
  • Press Releases (163)
  • Regional News (3,362)
  • Science and Technology (502)
  • Sports & Entertainment (287)

Latest News

  • BSP keeps policy rates anew December 17, 2015
  • NEDA cuts PHL additional rice import for 2016 by 25% December 17, 2015
  • DA cites serious implications of banning genetically modified products December 17, 2015
  • BBL is not yet dead – Drilon December 17, 2015
  • Comelec recognizes Duterte’s CoC for president December 17, 2015
  • NEDA chief sees 2015 growth at 6% despite typhoons December 17, 2015
  • House of Representatives ratifies bicam report on P3.002-T national budget for 2016 December 17, 2015
  • Cebu-based developer invests PHP430M to build 709 townhouse units in north Cebu town December 17, 2015
  • City gov’t eyes P75-M income from economic enterprise December 17, 2015
  • Baguio City LGU presents traffic plan for holiday season December 17, 2015

Archives

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Science and Technology

  • DOST-ICTO targets 500,000 web-based workers from countryside by 2016
  • (Feature) STARBOOKS: A ‘makeover’ for librarians
  • Science, research reduce ‘cocolisap’ hotspot areas in PHL
  • Montejo to further improve PAGASA and empower scientists
  • 1st PPP in biomedical research produces knee replacement system fit for Asians

Press Releases

  • Microsoft to buy Nokia’s mobile devices business for 5.44-B euros
  • New World Bank climate change report should spur SEA and world leaders into action: Greenpeace
  • Save the Philippine Seas before it’s too late — Greenpeace
  • Palanca Awards’ last call for entries
  • Philippines joins the global call for Arctic protection

Comment and Opinion

  • Remembering the dead is a celebration of life
  • Killer earthquake unlikely to hit Panay Island in near future – analyst
  • It’s not just more fun to invest in the Philippines, it is also profitable, says President Aquino
  • How does one differentiate a tamaraw from a carabao?
  • Fun is not just about the place, it is also about the people, says DOT chief

OFW Corner

  • Ebola infection risk low in Croatia
  • Death toll rises to 41, over 100 still missing in landslide in India
  • Asbestos use in construction a labor hazard
  • 500,000 OFWs to benefit POEA on-line transactions — Baldoz
  • 25 distressed OFWs return home from Riyadh
©2025 Philippines Today | Design: Newspaperly WordPress Theme