Fire ERC officials, Duterte urged
LAWMAKERS have called on President Rodrigo Duterte to fire the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) officials who were issued a
Ombudsman for the second time in six months for neglect of duty.
Representatives Carlos Zarate of Bayan Muna party-list and France Castro of Alliance of Concerned Teachers party-list made the call in connection with the suspension order slapped against ERC Commissioners Gloria Victoria Yap- Taruc, Alfredo Non, Jose
Geronimo Santa Ana over their decision to allow misuse of Bill Deposits (BDs) by mingling them with capital or operation cost of Manila Electric Co. (Meralco).
Such mingling, the lawmakers said, defeated the purpose of the BDs, which is to guarantee payment of bills.
Zarate said the four commissioners had secured a court injunction with the Court of Appeals for their earlier year-long suspension without pay also issued by the Ombudsman for allowing power distribution utilities, including Meralco, to bypass the bidding process for power supply agree
“We call on President [Rodrigo]
should not wait for them to resign because they don’t have a plan to resign given their initial recourse
[of seeking injunction],” he told a news conference.
“It is clear that the challenge to
been touting a lot of times that
in his government,” Castro said.
Zarate accused ERC officials of clinging to their posts to serve Meralco’s interest by facilitating the approval of Meralco’s seven power
that are pending before the ERC. Meralco’s seven PSAs are with
Energy Inc. (225 megawatts megawatts), Atimonan One Energy Inc. (1,200 MW), St. Raphael Power Generation Corp. (400 MW), Central Luzon Premiere Power Corp. (528 MW), Mariveles Power Generation Corp. (528 MW), Panay Energy Development Corp. (70 MW) and Global Luzon Energy Development Corp. (600 MW).
President Duterte previously said
even with just a whiff of corruption.
Duterte for alleged corruption included Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon, Chairman Patricia Licuanan of Commission on Higher Education, Chairman Terry Ridon of Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre 2nd and Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo.