Embattled ERC officials seek meeting with Duterte

THE CHAIRMAN of the Energy Regulatory Commission ( ERC) said on Monday he would seek a meeting with President Rodrigo R. Duterte upon his return from Peru after his call for the resignation of the agency’s top officials.

“We were informed about the President’s statement made in Lima, Peru, regarding a call for the resignation of all ERC officials in the wake of the recent issues confronting the organization,” Jose Vicente B. Salazar, who is also the commission’s CEO, said in a statement.

Mr. Salazar was referring to allegations of irregularities at the commission following the Nov. 9 suicide of Francisco Jose S. Villa, Jr., a director at the ERC. Mr. Villa reportedly took his own life and left behind suicide notes which a member of his family said indicated his being “pressured to approve contracts for procurements and hiring consultants without proper bidding and procedure.”

At a news conference on Sunday in Peru (Monday morning in Manila) where he was attending the APEC Summit, Mr. Duterte said: “I am demanding that they all resign, kasi nabasa ko yung

sa ( because I read the) internal [reports] pati yung sa (and also the) intelligence [reports].

“Talagang binastos nila (they really [corrupted the agency]),” he also said, adding, “They must resign. I have options: file a case against them all or demand that no money will be appropriated.

Hini- hearing pa yan ngayon eh (The budget is still being heard).

Bigyan ko sila (I will give them) zero. O[ r] they want to spare the humiliation of sitting there without the money, they resign and I will reorganize or rename the [ body] — silang lahat (all of them), they have to resign.”