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SIGNALING her awareness of reservations over her
appointment to the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC),
newly named ERC chief Zenaida Ducut assured the public
on Monday that the agency will retain its independence
under her.
“Familiarity and closeness to political personalities
may be true, but we have a duty here [ERC] to uphold its
mandate, and it is my duty being its chairwoman to
uphold the independence of this body,” Ducut told
reporters in an interview.
She
emphasized that the ERC is a quasijudicial regulatory
body, and that it will abide by its mandate. “There may
be friends, but we have our duty to the public,” she
said. The lawyer from Pampanga is known to have close,
decades-long ties with the President, who hails from
Lubao, Pampanga.
Questions had also been raised about her technical
expertise in and experience for the position.
It being
her first day in office, Ducut said she would have to
review all pending rate cases and consumer complaints,
existing policies pertaining to the fixing of rates and
their different components, including system losses and
lifeline charges. Ducut added that she would also have
to look into the different mechanisms for the adjustment
of rates and the confirmation process for such
adjustments to ensure that all reasonable costs are
passed on to consumers.
She
promised to ensure compliance by distribution utilities
with the commission’s directives that are intended to
keep power rates reasonable, and to enhance the
monitoring of the utilities’ implementation of approved
rates and their compliance with service standards.
Ducut
said she would also look into the needs of the
commission’s staff to make them more effective in
ensuring the commission performs all its mandates. She
is looking at extending assistance to the ERC staff by,
among others, providing training and human-resource
development.
“But if
there is a way that we can help to increase their
salaries, then we will do it. But I would also have to
check the budget of this commission—if we have some
funds that can be used for their benefit,” she said.
In
response to technical questions, Ducut begged reporters
to give her time to study them, promising to address
them properly in time. “We will give everyone due
respect, fair and reasonable treatment,” she added.
“Learning is easy with the commission’s existing
qualified and able staff. And I’m giving myself to learn
the curb as soon as possible, as the commission and
industry stakeholders cannot wait,” Ducut said.
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