THE Supreme Court has affirmed the authority of the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to mandate bill deposits from electricity consumers, recognizing it as a legitimate exercise of the ERC's rate-setting powers to ensure the financial stability of power distributors.
In a ruling penned by Senior Associate Justice Marvic M.V.F. Leonen, the Court en banc dismissed a petition filed by Neri Colmenares and others challenging the ERC's authority to allow distribution utilities, such as the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), to collect bill deposits from consumers.
