Newly installed Energy Secretary Sharon Garin assured there will be no major changes at the Department of Energy (DOE) even as the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) is facing a revamp.
Garin reacted to the decision of ERC chairperson Monalisa Dimalanta to resign during a briefing in Malacañang.
“ERC is not under DOE, it’s our regulator. It’s under the OP [Office of the President]. There will be complications if she is no longer there, they will be reduced,” Garin said.
She said the five-man commission will be left with two commissioners with two already retired.
“They won’t have a quorum. I think the OP will act swiftly to address that…We will continue with the policies that made us successful in attracting all the investors. We will continue with the policies that are effective,” Garin said.
“We will do away with policies that are not helpful to the country. As far as the DOE is concerned, we want to maintain continuity and we want to assure our stakeholders and possible investors that there will be no major changes in the DOE,” she said,
Meanwhile, Dimalanta said the members of the Commission, having terms fixed under Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA), are not covered by the courtesy resignation.
“For months, we stood firm on this position and, contrary to some reports, I did not require the other members of the Commission to file a courtesy resignation with me. So, what I filed instead was an irrevocable resignation recognizing the reality of the situation,” Dimalanta said.
“Legally, there is a difference because an irrevocable resignation does not put the appointing authority in a possibly legally tenuous position and, at the same time, we protect the agency by not setting any precedent on courtesy resignations or Cabinet reshuffling affecting an independent institution like the ERC,” she explained.
Industry players are also asking Malacañang to immediately appoint a replacement for Dimalanta and the two resigned commissioners.
Meralco PowerGen Corp. president Emmanuel Rubio said Dimalanta has always been a trailblazer and a champion of energy reform.
“During her tenure at the ERC, she led with vision and conviction—pushing forward key programs such as advancing renewable energy, creation of policies that empower consumers, and regulatory transparency. Her leadership helped shape a more modern and responsive energy landscape. As the industry moves forward, I trust that the administration will ensure continuity at the ERC to safeguard regulatory stability and investor confidence,” Rubio said.
The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) said the leadership vacuum at the ERC will delay crucial decision making in the energy industry.
“This move effectively deprives the commission of a quorum to perform its regulatory role. The leadership vacuum will also delay key decisions regarding power tariffs, consumer protection and energy policies that will unfairly weigh on industrial and domestic consumers,” PCCI said in a statement.
‘We urge the administration to act with deliberate speed in appointing able and independent-thinking commissioners so as to ensure continuity in the ERC mandate. The energy sector needs a strong and robust regulatory body to protect the interests of electricity consumers across the country,” the influential business group added.
Jay Layug, president of the Developers of Renewable Energy for AdvanceMent, Inc. (DREAM), the umbrella organization of renewable energy associations in the country said the agency is looking forward to the President’s swift appointment of three new ERC commissioners, including the chairperson.
“A regulator like ERC operating without a quorum is effectively paralyzed and unable to carry out its statutory duties. We all know the critical importance that ERC plays in setting electricity rates, enforcing industry standards and safeguarding consumer interests,” Layug said.
