Suspension of execs might paralyze ERC; Palace mulling options – Roque

It’s business as usual at the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) but presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the agency might be paralyzed after its four commissioners have been suspended for one year.

“Bagamat lahat po ng Commissioner bukod po kay Chairman ay nasuspinde ng Ombudsman, nandyan pa po si Commissioner (Agnes) Devanadera, ibig sabihin tuloy-tuloy pa parin ang serbisyo ng ERC,” Roque said in an interview over dzMM on Friday morning.

“Pero totoo po magkakaroon po ng parang paralysis dyan dahil ang polisiya, ‘di sila makakagalaw dahil ang sabi sa batas sila po ay isang collegial body at hindi pwedeng isa lang ang nagdedesisyon,” he added.

Last Thursday, the Office of the Ombudsman ordered the suspension of ERC Commissioners Gloria Victoria Yap-Taruc, Alfredo Non, Josefina Patricia Magpala-Asirit and Geronimo Sta. Ana after they allegedly allowed electric utilities such as the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) to forgo the bidding of their power supply requirements.

The four were also found guilty of “conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, aggravated by simple misconduct and simple neglect of duty.”

Roque, however, thinks the Ombudsman’s decision was appropriate.

“Sa tingin ko naman tama naman yung naging desisyon na suspindihin. Pinag-aaralan na po ng Malacañang ang hakbang dahil hindi naman pwede na habang suspendido at may mga kaso sila walang mangyari dyan sa ERC,” he said.

“Isa sa opsyon ay kung dapat bang manatiling suspendido, pero hayaan po natin yang pag-aralan ng opisina sa ilalim ni Executive Secretary (Salvador) Medialdea,” he added.

READ: Ombudsman suspends 4 ERC commissioners