MANILA -- Manila Electric Co said Thursday it would refund customers for an online payment fee and apologized for failing to shoulder it during the COVID-19 lockdown.

The Philippines' largest power distributor said it got nothing from the P47 per transaction "convenience fee," charged by online payment platform PayMaya. Meralco and PayMaya parent PLDT Inc are both both part of Metro Pacific Investments Corp.

"I sincerely apologize for this lapse. Meralco will shoulder the convenience fee charged during the aforesaid ECQ (enhanced community quarantine) period and refund the customers the fees they paid during this period," Meralco President and CEO Ray Espinosa said in a letter to the Department of Energy.

"I wish to assure you that we shall be more sensitive in the future and shall be ever mindful of the best interest and well-being of our customers," he said.

MERALCO, nagsorry sa paniningil ng convenience fee na P47 sa mga nagbabayad ng bill thru Meralco app ngayong quarantine period.Ayon kay Meralco President & Chief Executive Officer Ray C. Espinosa,irirefund ang P47 sa mga nagbayad thru the Meralco app sa loob ng quarantine period. pic.twitter.com/Qw99tEm7q0

— alvin elchico (@alvinelchico) May 21, 2020

The convenience fee was charged when customers used the Meralco app. The power distributor also reminded the public of alternative payment modes such as credit card auto-debit and ATM.

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