Joselito Malig

Article (news)

Allison Co

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/178661394209020260807-senate-ewrin-tulfo-ombudsman-MT2.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Senate Blue Ribbon Committee Chairman Senator Erwin Tulfo speaks to the media after meeting with Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla at the Office of the Ombudsman in Quezon City on Friday, August 7, 2026, regarding the planned turnover of the committee’s flood control probe documents to the Ombudsman. The entire panel is set to meet to facilitate the turnover, with the Ombudsman’s office taking over matters concerning flood control. <em>Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News </em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — Senator Erwin Tulfo exposed cases involving local politicians with unpaid electricity bills during the Senate Committee on Energy hearing on system losses on Thursday. </p><p>Tulfo said the unpaid bills are considered non-technical system losses, which are ultimately passed on to electricity consumers.</p><p>Non-technical system losses refer to electricity lost due to pilferage, inaccurate metering, unmetered consumption, and human error.</p><p>“What in the world is that?… Dahil si mayor, si governor hindi nagbabayad, so pasan-pasan ng tao, yun po yung masakit eh,” Tulfo said.</p><p>The National Electrification Administration, however, assured the senator that such cases have decreased. The agency said it has dealt with government officials who failed to settle their electricity bills by disconnecting their power lines.</p><p>“Ang aking direktiba sa kanila, putulan ninyo. And may mga politiko na pinutulan namin at tatawag po sa akin eh sasabihin ko lang sa politiko, wala ho tayong magagawa yun ang polisya,” NEA Administrator Mariano Almeda said.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>ON REMOVAL OF NON-TECHNICAL SYSTEM LOSS</strong></div><p>The Senate Committee continued its hearing on system losses to discuss proposed legislation aimed at reducing the burden of system loss charges, particularly the feasibility of removing non-technical system losses.</p><p>Representatives from the energy sector earlier said that completely removing system loss charges, as <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2026/7/27/marcos-wants-systems-loss-charges-removed-from-electricity-bill-rooftop-solar-made-easier-1727">proposed by the President during his SONA</a> last month, is not feasible.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2026/8/11/erc-proposes-removing-vat-on-system-loss-to-lower-electricity-bills-1429">ERC proposes removing VAT on system loss to lower electricity bills</a></div><p>What the energy sector considers more feasible is removing non-technical system loss charges, which account for around 1 percent of total electricity bills for private electric companies and up to 2.95 percent for electric cooperatives.</p><p>“As far as the non-technical system loss component, nakita naman natin at present ang performance ng ating distribution utilities, we placed them at around 1 percent na. And if we will further adjust the allowable cap for the non-technical system loss, they will be able to comply,” ERC Chairperson Atty. Francis Saturnino Juan said.</p><p>Tulfo said that regardless of how small the loss may seem, removing the charge remains important.</p><p>“It doesn&#x27;t matter if it&#x27;s 1 percent or 2 percent. Pero yung prinsipyo po ng ordinaryong mamamayan na magbabayad siya, na hindi naman yung kasalanan. Yun po yung masakit,” Tulfo said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2026/8/5/doe-erc-favor-phased-removal-of-non-technical-system-loss-charge-1904">DOE, ERC favor &#x27;phased&#x27; removal of non-technical system loss charge from electricity bills</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>CALL FOR REVISED ANTI-PILFERAGE LAW</strong></div><p>As the government considers removing non-technical system loss charges, the Department of Energy also called for an update to existing safeguards against electricity pilferage, which could also ease the burden on distribution utilities.</p><p>“That&#x27;s why one of our requests to the body is for the revision of the Anti-Pilferage Law … where they can request assistance of law enforcement and make it easier for them to actually minimize their systems,” DOE Undersecretary Rio Inocencio said.</p><p>The Department of Justice similarly agreed the current anti-pilferage law, enacted in 1994, may already be outdated.</p><p>“Medyo matagal na din po kasi yung law so probably it’s a little outdated. Also we are looking into the nature na huwag na po maging confiscatory in nature po yung mga bills or measures na presented before this committee po,” DOJ Representative Atty. Charlene Calingasan said.</p><p>Law enforcement units such as the PNP and the NBI were also present during the hearing and were asked to submit reports in the next hearing detailing the number of arrests made in connection with electricity theft and pilferage cases.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3KWYG8_HvXU?si=7f9MW0RFd11U2kPX" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>

<p>During the Senate Committee on Energy hearing on system losses on Thursday, Senator Erwin Tulfo exposed cases involving local politicians with unpaid electricity bills.</p>

During the Senate Committee on Energy hearing on system losses on Thursday, Senator Erwin Tulfo exposed cases involving local politicians with unpaid electricity bills.

Tulfo exposes politicians’ unpaid electricity bills amid system loss probe

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Tulfo exposes politicians’ unpaid electricity bills amid system loss probe

Allison Co,

ABS-CBN News

Published August 13, 2026 05:48 PM PHT

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Senate

Senator Erwin Tulfo

Committee on Energy

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