Palace suspends ERC chair Salazar for insubordination

August 3, 2017

Malacanang has suspended for another four months Energy Regulatory Board chairman Jose Vicente Salazar for insurbordination.

In a press briefing on Thursday, Presidential Communications Assistant Secretary Ana Marie Banaag said the Office of the Executive Secretary, in its decision on August 2, finds Salazar "guilty of insubordination.

"Thus, Mr. Salazar is meted out the penalty of suspension for a period of four months without pay," she said.

She explained Salazar defied the Office of the President's designation of an officer-in-charge at ERC when he was meted out with preventive suspension for 90 days, which ended on August 2. Salazar instead appointed another person.

"So this is the insubordination part. This is the penalty, because the Office of the President has jurisdiction over Chair Salazar. And for his disobedience, for insubordination, for not obeying the appointment --- the previous appointment released or given by the Office of the Executive Secretary to Mr. (Geronimo) Sta. Ana, OIC Sta. Ana --- for appointing another person as OIC, that is the case in the --- insubordination that was decided upon by the Office of ES," Banaag explained.

She said Salazar was suspended for three months so that investigation could be conducted in ERC without any documents being hidden by anybody.

Some ERC officials, including Salazar, were allegedly involved in the irregular bidding of a project in the agency, prompting one of its officers to commit suicide. Celerina Monte/DMS