Militant lawmakers on Wednesday challenged President Rodrigo Duterte to fire the four Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) commissioners who have earned successive suspension orders from the Office of the Ombudsman.
Bayan Muna Party-List Rep. Carlos Zarate and ACT-Teachers Rep. France Castro underscored in a press conference the mounting basis to sack Commissioners Gloria Victoria Yap-Taruc, Alfredo Non, Josefina Patricia Magpala-Asirit, and Geronimo Sta. Ana in connection with alleged accommodations and dealings with the Manila Electric Company (Meralco).
In a related development, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque criticized 4 Energy Regulatory Commission officials for seeking the nullification of a 3-month suspension order against them during a radio interview over DZMM Tuesday.
“Malinaw ang sinabi ni Presidente diyan…dapat matagal na silang nagbitiw, pero talagang mga parang kapit sa kapangyarihan,” said Roque, a former member of the House of Representatives.
The terms of 2 of the suspended commissioners will end in July, noted Roque.
“Hindi ko po maintindihan kung bakit pa sila kakapit sa kanilang katungkulan eh ilang tulog na lang naman wala na sila,” Roque said.
President Rodrigo Duterte, he said, has picked replacements for the 4 officials.
“Ang panawagan natin dito or hamon natin kay Pangulong Duterte ay tanggalin na itong mga commissioner na ito. Huwag nang antayin na magre-resign sila dahil talagang wala silang planong magre-resign,” Zarate said.
“Lumilinaw ang mga batayan para tanggalin itong sinasabi nating mga corrupt officials. Kaya ito hinahamon ulit natin si President Duterte, sinabi niya noon na talagang ang mga corrupt walang puwang sa kanyang administrasyon,” Castro said, referring to the commissioners.
The four ERC commissioners were recently slapped with a three-month suspension without pay for Simple Neglect of Duty after power consumers failed to earn interest from a bill deposit (BD) fund. Allegedly, they tolerated the misuse of BDs by allowing its commingling with the capital or operation cost of Meralco.
In December 2017, the same group earned a year-long suspension sans pay for allowing power utilities like Meralco to skirt the required bidding process for energy agreements filed before the ERC. The four gained a court injunction after the first suspension. Zarate believes they will go the same route again.
“Muli gusto rin nating irehistro ang ating malakas na kritisismo sa nangyari sa nakaraan na binigyan ng temporary restraining order (TRO) at preliminary injunction itong apat na commissioners ng Court of Appeals (CA) despite the fact na marami ng desisyon ang Supreme Court (SC) na nagsasabi na ang desisyon ng Office of the Ombudsman sa administrative case ay immediately executory,” the Davao-based solon said.
He further likened the erring ERC executives to geckos with sticky limbs.
“Kapit-tuko sila sa kanilang posisyon kahit na na-expose na ang kanilang apparent na sabwatan para lang mapagbigyan ang Meralco.”
Zarate stressed that the commissioners’ links to issues such as the seven onerous Meralco power supply agreements (PSAs) and the BD controversy should be reason enough for the Chief Executive to show them the door.
Last year, the Makabayan congressman filed House Resolution (HR) No.566, which led to an investigation of the questioned PSAs by House Committees on Good Government and Public Accountability and on Energy.
One of the recommendations of the joint panel was the filing of necessary charges against the ERC officials should the evidence call for it.