Solons want Duterte to fire four ERC commissioners

Lawmakers on Monday said President Rodrigo Duterte should fire the four commissioners of the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) who were suspended by the Office the Ombudsman for the second time in six months due to alleged misuse of bill deposits.

Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate, in a press briefing, said the President should no longer wait for ERC Commissioners Gloria Victoria Yap-Taruc, Alfredo Non, Josefina Patricia Asirit and Geronimo Sta. Ana to resign.

“Gaya nung ginawa nila nung sinuspinde sila for one year, tatakbo na naman sila sa Korte Suprema. Kaya ang hamon natin kay pangulong Duterte ay tanggalin na itong mga commissioners na ito. Huwag nang hintayin pa na sila ay mag-resign dahil walang planong mag-resign ang mga ito, kapit-tuko sila sa kanilang posiyon,” Zarate said.

(Just like what they did when they were suspended for a year, they will also appeal this to the Supreme Court. That’s why we dare President Duterte to fire these commissioners already. He should not wait for them to resign because they don’t have any intention to do so, they are holding tightly to their positions.)

ACT-Teachers Rep. France Castro has also demanded that President Duterte make good of his promise about not condoning corruption under his administration.

“Lumilinaw na ang mga batayan para tanggalin itong mga corrupt na officials kaya hinahamon natin si presidente Duterte na sinabi nya noon na walang lugar ang mga korap sa kanilang admin kaya sa findings ng Ombudsman ay dapat kumilos na rito si presidente,” she said.

(The bases to fire these corrupt officials are becoming clear so we are urging President Duterte to fulfill his promise against corrupt officials, and with the Ombudsman’s findings, he should act on it now.)

The four commissioners face a three-month suspension after the anti-raft court found them guilty of simple neglect of duty for letting the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) use billions of pesos in electric bill deposits of its consumers to finance its operations.

READ: ERC execs ordered suspended anew

Some lawmakers have already called for the resignation of the group.

READ: After Ombudsman’s second suspension order, ERC commissioners urged to resign

Last December, the four were also suspended for a year without pay for allowing power utilities like the Meralco to skirt the required bidding process for energy agreements filed before the ERC.  /vvp