POWER RATE REVIEW. House Minority Leader and 4Ps Party-list Rep. Marcelino “Nonoy” Libanan raises concerns over excessive Line Loss and Congestion Cost (LLCC) charges during a House energy committee hearing on Aug. 11. The Energy Regulatory Commission has since ordered corrective measures and an audit that could lead to refunds for consumers who were overcharged.
POWER RATE REVIEW. House Minority Leader and 4Ps Party-list Rep. Marcelino “Nonoy” Libanan raises concerns over excessive Line Loss and Congestion Cost (LLCC) charges during a House energy committee hearing on Aug. 11. The Energy Regulatory Commission has since ordered corrective measures and an audit that could lead to refunds for consumers who were overcharged.
TACLOBAN CITY — Electricity consumers in the Visayas could see lower power bills and receive refunds for possible overcharges following the Energy Regulatory Commission’s (ERC) suspension of excessive line loss and congestion cost (LLCC) charges, House Minority Leader and 4Ps Party-list Rep. Marcelino “Nonoy” Libanan said Sunday, August 16.
Libanan said consumers who were charged an additional P2 to P5.99 per kilowatt-hour because of excessive LLCC could be entitled to refunds once the ERC completes its review.
The lawmaker raised the issue during the Aug. 11 House energy committee hearing after the Eastern Samar Electric Cooperative Inc. (Esamelco) sought his assistance over surging LLCC charges imposed through the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM).
Esamelco estimated that excessive LLCC charges passed on to consumers in Eastern Visayas had reached about P1.55 billion since January.
On Aug. 13, the ERC ordered corrective measures after finding errors in the calculation of congestion-related electricity prices under certain conditions, particularly when the high-voltage direct current (HVDC) links connecting Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao became constrained.
The ERC directed the Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines (IEMOP) to suspend the collection or payment of affected Line Rental charges and permanently correct the pricing methodology.
It also ordered an independent audit and a recalculation of market settlement allocations dating back to June 26, 2021. The review could lead to refunds for consumers who were overcharged, with adjustments potentially reflected over several billing periods.
“Consumers should not be made to shoulder the cost of the electricity market’s defective pricing and settlement system. If consumers were overcharged, they deserve to get their money back,” Libanan said.
ORMOC CITY — Police arrested two individuals listed among their respective provinces’ most wanted persons in separate warrant operations in Biliran and Eastern Samar on Aug. 14, 2026.
In Naval, Biliran, police arrested Jose Erwin Gelarde II, also known as “Sherwin,” 44, a single painter and resident of Naval, who was ranked No. 4 among the province’s most wanted persons.
Gelarde was arrested at about 4 p.m. in Barangay Sto. Rosario on a warrant for lascivious conduct under Section 5(b), Article III of Republic Act 7610, or the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act.
The warrant, dated Jan. 23, 2024, was issued by Judge Luz Petilla Navarrte of the Regional Trial Court Branch 16 in Naval, with a recommended bail of P200,000.
The operation was carried out by personnel of the Naval Municipal Police Station, Biliran Provincial Mobile Force Company, Regional Intelligence Unit, MLET Biliran and PIDMU Tracker Team.
In Jipapad, Eastern Samar, police separately arrested Rhoni Pajanustan, 19, single, a farmer and resident of the town, who was ranked No. 10 on the province’s most wanted list.
Pajanustan was arrested at about 3:40 p.m. in Barangay Roxas for statutory acts of lasciviousness under Article 336 of the Revised Penal Code.
He was arrested through an intelligence-driven operation by the Jipapad Municipal Police Station and the Provincial Intelligence Unit of the Eastern Samar Police Provincial Office.
The warrant was issued Aug. 11, 2026, by Judge Roldan Guido Alconaba Capito of the Regional Trial Court Branch 5 in Oras, Eastern Samar, with a recommended bail of P102,000.
Both suspects were brought to their respective police stations for documentation, proper disposition and further legal proceedings.
ASSISTANCE FOR PDLs.Northern Samar provincial officials and DSWD Field Office VIII representatives sign agreements formalizing livelihood and crisis assistance programs for persons deprived of liberty at the Northern Samar Provincial Jail on Aug. 13, 2026. The partnership aims to provide PDLs with skills training, livelihood opportunities and support for their eventual reintegration into their families and communities.(The Provincial Government of Northern Samar)
ASSISTANCE FOR PDLs.Northern Samar provincial officials and DSWD Field Office VIII representatives sign agreements formalizing livelihood and crisis assistance programs for persons deprived of liberty at the Northern Samar Provincial Jail on Aug. 13, 2026. The partnership aims to provide PDLs with skills training, livelihood opportunities and support for their eventual reintegration into their families and communities.(The Provincial Government of Northern Samar)
TACLOBAN CITY — Persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) at the Northern Samar Provincial Jail will gain access to livelihood opportunities and crisis assistance under a new partnership between the provincial government and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) regional office.
The partnership was formalized on Aug. 13 through the signing of separate agreements for the joint implementation of the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) and Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS).
The programs are intended to help PDLs develop skills and livelihood opportunities while in detention and prepare for their eventual return to their families and communities.
AICS provides immediate assistance to individuals and families facing crisis situations, while SLP offers longer-term livelihood support aimed at helping beneficiaries become more economically self-sufficient.
DSWD Regional Director Grace Subong described the agreement as a milestone in the agency’s more than three decades of partnership with Northern Samar, particularly with the inclusion of the provincial jail as a new avenue for livelihood intervention.
The provincial government has already been providing PDLs with opportunities to acquire skills and engage in productive activities through the Provincial Economic Development and Investment Promotions Office (PEDIPO). These have included bread and pastry making, egg production and vegetable farming.
The partnership also involves the Provincial Agriculture Office, Provincial Veterinary Office, Provincial Health Office, Northern Samar Provincial Hospital and the provincial jail, bringing together government agencies involved in social protection, livelihood, health and crisis assistance.
Governor Harris Ongchuan said government assistance should not simply provide temporary relief but should help people develop the capacity to build more secure futures.
“We do not want our fellow citizens to remain dependent on government assistance. What we want is to give them the skills and opportunities to overcome poverty through their own efforts, with the support of the government,” he said.
PEDIPO head John Allen Berbon said the agreements formalize and strengthen a partnership between the provincial government and DSWD that has developed over nearly three decades.
PEDIPO traces its roots to the Technology and Livelihood Development Center established in 1998 and later became the Provincial Livelihood and Development Office in the early 2000s. It has provided skills training and livelihood assistance to organizations and micro, small and medium enterprises through partnerships with national government agencies and private-sector groups.
The new agreements expand the partnership to PDLs, with livelihood interventions intended to support their rehabilitation, reintegration and transition to more sustainable lives after confinement.
RESCUED BUT DIES. A rescued Brahminy kite, locally known as “lawin” or “banog,” died on Aug. 11, hours after it was brought to the University of Eastern Philippines Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Catarman for treatment of a severe wing injury. The bird was found injured on Aug. 10 in Barangay Geparayan De Turag, Silvino Lobos, Northern Samar, and was rescued with the help of Jowen Celajes.
(PHOTO COURTESY OF JOWEN CELAJES)
RESCUED BUT DIES. A rescued Brahminy kite, locally known as “lawin” or “banog,” died on Aug. 11, hours after it was brought to the University of Eastern Philippines Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Catarman for treatment of a severe wing injury. The bird was found injured on Aug. 10 in Barangay Geparayan De Turag, Silvino Lobos, Northern Samar, and was rescued with the help of Jowen Celajes. (PHOTO COURTESY OF JOWEN CELAJES)
TACLOBAN CITY — Eight of Eastern Visayas’ 11 distribution utilities (DUs) and electric cooperatives were among the 20 power distributors with the highest residential electricity rates in the country in July, according to an Aug. 6 report by the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC).
The eight were Biliran Electric Cooperative (Bileco) at P18.34 per kilowatt-hour (kWh), Northern Samar Electric Cooperative (Norsamelco) at P16.49/kWh, Southern Leyte II Electric Cooperative (Soleco) at P15.71/kWh, Leyte Electric Cooperative III (Leyeco 3) at P15.70/kWh, Eastern Samar Electric Cooperative (Esamelco) at P15.09/kWh, Don Orestes Romualdez Electric Cooperative (Dorelco) at P14.95/kWh, Leyeco 4 at P14.88/kWh and Samar Electric Cooperative(Samelco 2) at P14.51/kWh.
Eastern Visayas has 11 DUs and electric cooperatives serving the region’s six provinces and more than 1.1 million consumers.
The ICSC said generation charges accounted for 57% of the average residential electricity rate in July, or P7.28/kWh, making it the largest component of consumers’ electricity bills. The charge rose by 10% from June.
Generation charges are essentially the cost of the electricity purchased by distribution utilities from power producers to supply their customers. These costs are affected by fuel prices, wholesale electricity market conditions and the prices agreed upon in power supply contracts.
According to the ICSC, this means electricity rates remain vulnerable to fluctuations in global fuel prices, particularly because many power plants still rely on imported fossil fuels such as coal and liquefied natural gas.
“Electricity bills will remain vulnerable as long as the country remains heavily dependent on imported fossil fuels,” said ICSC Energy Transition Adviser Alberto Dalusung III, who called for a more diversified energy mix anchored on indigenous renewable energy.
The ICSC said the impact of dependence on imported fuels was particularly evident during the 2022 global energy crisis, when surging international coal and liquefied natural gas prices drove up generation charges.
The findings come as Congress examines another component of electricity bills—system loss charges—which Northern Samar 2nd District Rep. Edwin Ongchuan, vice chairperson of the House Committee on Energy, wants the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to immediately reduce.
At an Aug. 5 House energy committee hearing, Ongchuan asked whether the ERC could lower allowable system loss caps under its existing authority while Congress works on legislation to eventually abolish the charges.
The ERC said it has authority under Section 43(f) of the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) to adjust system loss caps based on technical considerations, but completely removing the charges may require legislative action.
System loss refers to electricity lost between its delivery into a distribution system and the amount ultimately billed to consumers. It includes technical losses from power lines and equipment and nontechnical losses such as electricity pilferage and illegal connections.
Under EPIRA, DUs may recover allowable system losses from consumers within ERC-prescribed limits. Losses beyond the caps cannot be passed on to consumers.
The issue gained national attention after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. called for the abolition of system loss charges in his fifth State of the Nation Address on July 27, saying consumers should not pay for losses they did not cause.
BIDDING. The Department of Transportation has opened bidding for two infrastructure projects worth a combined P840.75 million for the rehabilitation of airside facilities and construction of airport building facilities. (TACLOBAN VIBE FACEBOOK)
BIDDING. The Department of Transportation has opened bidding for two infrastructure projects worth a combined P840.75 million for the rehabilitation of airside facilities and construction of airport building facilities. (TACLOBAN VIBE FACEBOOK)
TACLOBAN CITY — The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has opened the bidding for two major infrastructure projects worth a combined P840.75 million to upgrade the airside and terminal facilities of the Tacloban Airport, as the government moves to improve the gateway’s safety, capacity, and operational efficiency.
The bigger contract, with an approved budget of P695.25 million, covers the rehabilitation and improvement of the airport’s airside facilities, including areas and systems essential to aircraft movement and airport operations.
A separate P145.50-million contract will finance the continuation and construction of airport building facilities as part of the broader improvement program for the facility.
The building facilities project has a contract implementation period of 910 calendar days, including predetermined unworkable days.
The bidding forms part of the government’s continuing efforts to modernize airport facilities and improve passenger and aviation services, particularly in regional gateways such as Tacloban Airport, which serves as a major air transport hub for Eastern Visayas.
The DOTr is also bidding out a separate P402.55-million project for Busuanga Airport in Palawan involving site development and the initial construction of an apron and taxiway.
An apron is an area where aircraft are parked, loaded, unloaded, refueled, or serviced, while a taxiway provides a designated route for aircraft moving between the runway, apron, and other airport facilities.
For the three projects, bids must be submitted by Sept. 2, while pre-bid conferences are scheduled for Aug. 19.
The DOTr said the procurement will be conducted under the New Government Procurement Act, using a non-discretionary pass-or-fail criterion. Participation is limited to Filipino citizens and qualified entities that meet the government’s requirements on Filipino ownership.
The Tacloban Airport projects are expected to strengthen the airport’s facilities and operational capabilities, supporting safer and more efficient air travel as passenger and aviation activity in Eastern Visayas continues to grow.
Tanauan Mayor Ma. Gina Merilo was acquitted by the Regional Trial Court in Lapu-Lapu City of an anti-graft charge stemming from the hiring of two defeated candidates in the 2022 elections. The court said the prosecution failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the appointments were attended by manifest partiality, evident bad faith or gross inexcusable negligence.(File Photo)
Tanauan Mayor Ma. Gina Merilo was acquitted by the Regional Trial Court in Lapu-Lapu City of an anti-graft charge stemming from the hiring of two defeated candidates in the 2022 elections. The court said the prosecution failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the appointments were attended by manifest partiality, evident bad faith or gross inexcusable negligence.(File Photo)
TACLOBAN CITY — The Regional Trial Court (RTC) in Lapu-Lapu City has acquitted Tanauan, Leyte Mayor Ma. Gina Merilo of an anti-graft charge over the hiring of two defeated candidates following the 2022 elections, ruling that the prosecution failed to establish her criminal liability beyond reasonable doubt.
In a 25-page decision dated Aug. 11, 2026, RTC Branch 27 Presiding Judge Nelson Leyco found Merilo not guilty of violating Section 3(e) of Republic Act No. 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
The case, filed on September 30,2024, stemmed from Merilo’s approval of the engagement of Quintin Octa Jr. as project engineer and Reynalda Almaden as mobile nurse, effective July 1, 2022, despite both having lost in the May 9, 2022 elections.
The prosecution alleged that the appointments gave the two individuals unwarranted benefits, advantage, or preference in violation of the constitutional and statutory prohibition against appointing defeated candidates to government positions within one year after an election.
The court acknowledged that Octa and Almaden were losing candidates, that they were engaged by the municipality of Tanauan within the prohibited one-year period, and that Merilo participated in approving their appointments in the performance of her official duties.
However, Judge Leyco ruled that these circumstances, by themselves, were not enough to establish a violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
The prosecution, the court said, still had to prove that Merilo’s actions were attended by manifest partiality, evident bad faith, or gross inexcusable negligence, together with the giving of an unwarranted benefit, advantage, or preference.
The court found that the prosecution failed to meet this burden.
According to the decision, there was insufficient evidence to establish that Merilo deliberately hired the two individuals as a reward for their political participation or electoral support, or that the appointments were motivated by corrupt intent, personal enrichment, a fraudulent arrangement, or a deliberate effort to confer unwarranted benefits.
“At most, the evidence establishes that accused Merilo approved the engagement of two losing candidates despite the constitutional and statutory prohibition,” the court said.
It stressed that an alleged violation of the prohibition on appointing defeated candidates does not automatically constitute a violation of Section 3(e) of R.A. No. 3019.
The court further explained that while the appointments may have contravened the constitutional and statutory prohibition, a criminal conviction under the anti-graft law requires proof beyond reasonable doubt of all the essential elements of the offense.
Judge Leyco emphasized that any reasonable doubt must be resolved in favor of the accused and that the prosecution failed to establish every element necessary to sustain Merilo’s conviction.
The court also clarified that her acquittal should not be interpreted as a finding that the appointments were lawful.
“This conclusion should not be understood as a declaration that the subject engagements were lawful. They were not,” the decision stated, while noting that the evidence presented did not meet the higher evidentiary threshold required for a criminal conviction under the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
The RTC thus acquitted Merilo of the criminal charge, ruling that her guilt had not been proven beyond reasonable doubt.
The case was filed following allegations that Merilo violated the prohibition against appointing candidates who had lost in the 2022 elections by engaging Octa and Almaden within one year from election day.
