By I. Inojales | 07:19 PM September 25, 2025
Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) Chair Atty. Francis Saturnino C. Juan on Thursday reaffirmed the agency’s primary duty to protect consumers’ interests while upholding competition in the power sector, amid criticisms from advocacy groups.
Speaking at the ERC’s open meeting, Juan responded to the P4P Coalition’s protest action and press statement which accused him of favoring power players at the expense of consumers.
“We are entering a new era, characterized by two pivotal developments in the regulatory framework: the Department of Energy’s Competitive Selection Process (CSP) Policy and the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Alyansa ng Bagong Pilipinas vs. ERC,” Juan said. “These are not merely procedural changes; they represent a significant transformation, a compelling call to re-embrace the competitive principles that are fundamental to the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA).”
The P4P Coalition earlier expressed disappointment over Juan’s leadership, claiming his first order of business was to allow power producers to raise prices unchecked.
Juan, however, stressed that the ERC’s mandate has not been diminished but transformed to safeguard the competitive process and ensure integrity in the power market.
He outlined two core pillars of the ERC’s approach under EPIRA: promoting competition by enforcing the CSP to let the market discover the least-cost power for consumers, and ensuring cost recovery for investors who take risks in modernizing the energy grid.
“To our stakeholders, I say: compete fiercely, innovate constantly, and invest confidently in the knowledge that a fair process will yield a fair and enforceable outcome,” Juan said.
He emphasized that the greatest protection against high electricity prices lies not in the regulator’s discretionary power to cancel contracts, but in the constant pressure of competition that compels suppliers to offer their best prices.
“The path is clear. The law is certain. Let the ERC be the steadfast guardian of the competitive process,” Juan declared. “In doing so, we will secure a future of affordable, reliable, and sustainable power for all Filipinos.”
