A HOUSE leader on Tuesday welcomed what she described as “initial relief” the taking of one-month leave of Energy Regulatory Commission Chairman Jose Vicente Salazar over allegations of corruption in the agency.
House Deputy Majority Leader and Bagong Henerasyon partylist Rep. Bernadette Herrera-Dy is among the prime movers of an advocacy in the House aiming to stop irregularities in the power commission that had at least resulted in the suicide of ERC Diretor Francisco Jose Villa Jr. last Nov. 9.
Herrera-Dy has filed several House Resolutions calling for inquiry into the alleged anomalies perpetrated by the agency’s top officials, as well as calling for the investigation of the surrounding circumstances that compelled Villa to take his own life. Maricel V. Cruz
Villa committed suicide reportedly after being forced to sign some contracts in the agency even without the proper bidding.
During Salazar’s leave, Commissioner Geronimo D. Sta. Ana is tasked to take over as officer-in charge of the Office of the Chairman.
“I have taken this step to focus on helping in the ongoing and planned inquiries regarding issues related to the Energy Regulatory Commission, particularly those raised by the late Director Francisco Jose Villa, Jr. prior to his recent death,” he said.
Earlier, President Rodrigo Duterte has asked all the ERC executives to resign as he received intelligence reports that corruption and other irregularities had become rampant in the ERC.