Manila, Aug. 20 -- Power utilities that have the means to reduce technical system losses should also bear their cost instead of automatically passing them on to consumers, Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian said Thursday.

Gatchalian said during a Senate Committee on Energy hearing that distribution utilities are in the best position to invest in equipment, substations, upgraded lines, and distributed energy systems that can bring down technical system losses.

"Kung sino ang may kapangyarihan dapat siya ang sumalo dahil incentives yan. Walang incentives na babaan at ipapasa mo rin, wala ka rin incentive na mag-invest sa mga technology (Whoever has the power should shoulder it because that creates incentives. If you can simply pass it on...