Duterte authorized to appoint temporary ERC commissioners, Panelo says

December 28, 2017

President Rodrigo Duterte may appoint temporary commissioners at the Energy Regulatory Commission, an official said on Thursday.

Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo said that under Section 17, Chapter 5 of Administrative Code of 1987 Duterte has "the authority to appoint temporary commissioners in lieu of the suspended four Commissioners of the ERC who can not function their duties.”

The Office of the Ombudsman has suspended four commissioners of the ERC for one year for allowing electric utilities like Manila Electric Company not to conduct the bidding of their power supply requirements which could prejudice the public.

With the decision of the Ombudsman to suspend the four ERC commissioners, only Chairperson Agnes Devanadera has been left.

Devanadera recently replaced dismissed ERC chairman Jose Vicente Salazar who was also found to be administratively liable, along with four other commissioners.

The ERC, in an earlier statement, has said since the agency is under the executive department, "the Commission will be seeking guidance from the Office of the President relative to the recently released Ombudsman decision specially that this will help a significant impact not only to the electricity consumers but to the economy as well.” Celerina Monte/DMS