The group — led by Enrique Razon Jr.-owned Prime Energy — obtained a 72-hour injunction from the Taguig Regional Trial Court halting the competitive selection process for a total of 1,000 megawatts of power which Meralco will require next year, a company official familiar with the issue told InsiderPH.
The group, which includes the Philippine National Oil Exploration Corp., argued that Meralco's bidding terms favor imported fuels over indigenous natural gas, violating laws and risking national energy security.
The group also asked the court separately to issue a 20-day injunction against Meralco’s competitive selection process.
In its plea to the court, the group described the bidding as flawed as it potentially skewed outcomes against indigenous natural gas suppliers like Malampaya.
The group emphasized that favoring imported fuels could discourage local resource development and jeopardize government revenues.
It also raised environmental and health concerns over increased reliance on imported liquefied natural gas and coal, highlighting the need to prioritize indigenous resources.
In a statement, Meralco senior vice president and regulatory management head Jose Ronald Valles said the country’s largest electricity retailer has yet to receive the court order.
But he stressed that all biddings for the firm’s supply requirements are “done in accordance with existing rules of Department of Energy and Energy Regulatory Commission."
“It is our mandate to ensure that we conduct these in a timely manner, as delay will expose our consumers to unnecessary burden in the amount of billions of pesos in the form of higher power rates,” Valles said.
