‘JUSTICE TO CONSUMERS’: Supreme Court Upholds MORE Power Franchise Expansion, with Finality

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

Justice for the consumers.

This is how MORE Electric and Power Corp. (MORE Power) President and CEO Roel Z. Castro described the recent decision of the Supreme Court denying all moves challenging the expanded franchise of MORE Power in Iloilo province.

challenging the expanded franchise of MORE Electric and Power Corp. (MORE Power) in Iloilo province.

In a resolution dated May 20, 2025 and received by parties on June 13, the Court en banc denied with finality the motions for reconsideration filed by Iloilo Electric Cooperative I (ILECO I), the Philippine Rural Electric Cooperatives Association Inc. (PHILRECA), and other petitioners who assailed the legality of Republic Act 11918.

In upholding RA 11918, the SC allowed MORE Power to expand its electricity distribution services from Iloilo City to 15 additional municipalities and one component city.

“The Court resolved, by the same vote, to DENY WITH FINALITY the said Motions for Reconsideration as the Court has passed upon the basic issues raised therein,” the resolution stated.

“No further pleadings or motions will be entertained,” it added.

The motions for reconsideration and request for a temporary restraining order were filed in January 2025, following the Supreme Court’s July 2024 decision dismissing the initial petition against MORE Power’s franchise expansion.

PHILRECA and several electric cooperatives argued that the expansion violated the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA), encroached on their service areas, and undermined the rights of consumer-member-owned utilities.

The petitioners claimed that granting MORE Power additional areas created a monopoly and was unconstitutional.

However, the high court maintained its stance that public utility franchises are not inherently exclusive and that Congress, exercising police power, can prioritize the general welfare in granting or amending such franchises.

In 2019, MORE Power received a 25-year franchise to serve Iloilo City under Republic Act 11212.

After receiving mounting consumer requests from surrounding towns, former Iloilo district representatives Mike Gorriceta and Braeden John Biron sponsored the bill in Congress.

In July 2022, Congress enacted Republic Act 11918, which permits the establishment, operation, and maintenance of electricity distribution across Alimodian, Anilao, Banate, Barotac Nuevo, Dingle, Dueñas, Dumangas, Leganes, Leon, New Lucena, Pavia, San Enrique, San Miguel, Santa Barbara, Zarraga, and the component city of Passi.

NEXT MOVES

MORE Power said the expansion will be rolled out in phases over four to five years, focusing on upgrading infrastructure and improving service delivery.

“We’re grateful that the Supreme Court has upheld the rule of law and the will of the people,” said MORE Power President and CEO Roel Z. Castro.

“Our mission is to bring modern, reliable, and efficient electric service to more consumers in Iloilo. The consumers have been waiting for two years for this,” he added.

Castro said they are still waiting for the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to issue the amended Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) to MORE Power to allow the latter to start the expansion.

The CPCN signifies that the ERC has deemed the proposed operation and authorization to be in the public interest and suitable for the community.

In the case of MORE Power, the amended CPCN will cover the 15 areas where the distribution firm can expand.

“I think, the ERC was also being careful amid the legal challenges to avoid any crisis if the CPCN was issued. Sana, MORE Power could have served the consumers, but we also had to consider these situations before,” he added.

Many town residents and local officials welcomed MORE Power’s entry, citing better reliability, infrastructure upgrades, and competitive pricing compared to services provided by electric cooperatives.

Recently, consumer groups in the first congressional district of Iloilo urged their local officials and Congresswoman Janet Garin to include their municipalities in the expansion of MORE Power.

MORE Power has significantly improved the efficiency and reliability of the distribution grid, provided a customer-centric brand of service to Iloilo City consumers, and sustained the affordability of rates.

These improvements and modernizations of MORE Power in Iloilo City prompted consumers under ILECOs to lobby for the expansion with lawmakers.

Castro said they still prefer to work with the ILECOs in the spirit of cooperation but “the consumers have been waiting two years for this already.”

“MORE Power and even our political leaders owe better services and cheaper power rates to our consumers, our constituencies. And this Supreme Court decision brings justice to the calls of our consumers,” he said.