Rep. Yamsuan: Meralco not exempt from liability over NAIA outage

Bicol Saro party-list Rep. Brian Raymund Yamsuan urged Meralco to exercise extraordinary diligence as the power distributor of Naia following a recent power outage.

Yamsuan emphasized that Meralco, as a business imbued with public interest, cannot afford to be lax or reckless in its services.

Meralco apologized for a 37-minute power outage at Naia Terminal 3 on June 9, attributing it to a procedural lapse by one of its personnel from Meralco Energy Inc. (MServ).

The outage, which occurred while MServ was testing electrical facilities, caused delays to seven flights.

Yamsuan stated that an apology might not be sufficient, as Meralco could be held liable under the law if negligence or failure to exercise extraordinary diligence is proven.

He noted that under the New Civil Code, an enterprise is responsible for damages caused by its employees during their functions.

This incident follows two other power outages at NAIA earlier in the year.