Noy names lawyer as new ERC commissioner

President Aquino has appointed lawyer Geronimo Sta. Ana as Commissioner of the Energy Regulatory Commission, the power regulator, the ERC announced recently.

ERC chairperson Zenaida Ducut, who administered Sta. Ana’s oath last week, welcomed him to the team. Sta. Ana will have a term of five years or until July 2020. Meanwhile, Ducut, who is facing graft, malversation and bribery complaints in the Office of the Ombudsman in connection with the multibillion-peso pork barrel scam, is scheduled to retire in July.

Under Republic Act 9136 or the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA), the ERC shall be composed of a chairman and four members with recognized competence in any of the following fields of expertise: energy, law, economics, finance, commerce or engineering.

“The ERC takes pride and warmly welcomes Commissioner Gerry Sta. Ana as our new commissioner. His expertise and wisdom in finance and auditing will greatly benefit and aid the ERC in its rate-setting functions. We expect that the electric power industry stakeholders will accord the same support to Commissioner Sta. Ana as they have with the previous ERC commissioners,” Ducut said.

Prior to his appointment to the ERC, Sta. Ana served as a governor of the Philippine Board of Investments representing the private sector until June 2014.

According to his profile, he has extensive experience in audit in view of his affiliation with Carlos J. Valdes & Co. as a partner and branch manager for its Cebu office for more than 11 years.