Consumer groups said they will fend off efforts of San Miguel Corp. to appeal the Energy Regulatory Commission ruling that denied the petition of the conglomerate's energy unit to increase electricity rates by P4.80 per kilowatt hour.

The groups which are the oppositors against the SMC Global Power petition have warned that they will seek economic sabotage charges if the company unilaterally terminates its power supply agreements with Meralco.

In a 3-2 decision last Thursday, the ERC dismissed the petition of SMC Global Power to adjust its contracted prices.

Consumer group Power for People Coalition said it is waiting for the next move of SMC Global Power following the denial of the petition to raise the contracted prices of the Sual Coal Plant and Ilijan Natural Gas Plant.

In a media briefing, P4P legal counsel Avril de Torres said they are prepared for any action that the SMC will do next, including a motion for reconsideration.

"But we at the P4P, we are ready to file again our opposition and objection for their MR. We are glad that most of the legal basis for the denial mentioned by the ERC is also the same as the legal arguments cited by P4P. We believe that any motion filed by SMC will be deemed baseless anew by the ERC commissioners," she said.

P4P convener Gerry Arances also aired hopes the SMC will not resort to nullifying the PSAs.

"Even before the release of the decision, SMC has already issued threats of cutting off the power supply to consumers," he said.