Manila, April 28 -- The Senate will summon officials of the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) and power firm Manila Electric Company (Meralco) to explain the recent spike in electricity rates, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said Tuesday.

Gatchalian said the inquiry would be taken up during a hearing of the Senate's Proactive Response and Oversight for Timely and Effective Crisis Strategy (PROTECT) Committee on Wednesday, which will look into government interventions to mitigate the impact of rising oil prices, including implementation gaps and proposed strategies.

"So tomorrow, in-invite namin ang ERC and Meralco ... nakita ko na ang pinakamataas sa pagtaas sa ating bill ay 'yung (We have invited the ERC and Meralco ... we saw that the big...