ERC head dismissed
MANILA — The Office of the President has fired Energy Regulatory Commission Jose Vicente Salazar who was found guilty of the administrative charges filed against him.
Salazar was found guilty of two counts of simple misconduct and one count of grave misconduct.
The decision was signed by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea last Friday.
It said Salazar committed bid rigging. He was accused of anomaly by the late ERC Director Francisco Villa Jr., who committed suicide last year.
The administrative charges against the ERC chief were serious dishonesty, gross neglect of duty and violations of Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, Government Procurement Reform Act and Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001.
Salazar was placed under preventive suspension in May for deceiving Malacañang in filing his travel authority and designating somebody without proper authority as officer-in-charge while he was abroad.
In August, Malacañang again suspended Salazar for four months without pay because of insubordination.
The House of Representatives last month reduced the proposed 2018 budget of ERC from P351 million to measly P1,000.
The House panel then decided to restore ERC’s budget to P365 million.