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ABP vs. ERC

ALYANSA PARA SA BAGONG PILIPINAS, INC. (ABP), REPRESENTED BY EVELYN V. JALLORINA AND NOEL VILLONES, PETITIONER, VS. ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION, REPRESENTED BY ITS CHAIRMAN, JOSE VICENTE B. SALAZAR, DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY, REPRESENTED BY SECRETARY ALFONSO G. CUSI, MERALCO, CENTRAL LUZON PREMIERE POWER CORPORATION, ST. RAPHAEL POWER GENERATION CORPORATION, PANAY ENERGY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, MARIVELES POWER GENERATION CORPORATION, GLOBAL LUZON ENERGY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, ATIMONAN ONE ENERGY, INC., REDONDO PENINSULA ENERGY, INC., AND PHILIPPINE COMPETITION COMMISSION, RESPONDENTS.

G.R. No. 227670 | 2019-05-03

D E C I S I O N
 
CARPIO, J.:
 
The outcome of this case will greatly affect, for the next two decades, all consumers of electricity in the Philippines, which include the over 95 million Filipinos living in the Philippines as well as the millions of business enterprises operating in the Philippines.

Section 19, Article XII of the 1987 Constitution provides: "The State shall regulate or prohibit monopolies when the public interest so requires. No combinations in restraint of trade or unfair competition shall be allowed."

The State grants electricity distribution utilities, through legislative franchises, a regulated...