PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the investigation of the suicide of a director of the Energy Regulatory Commission due to the alleged corruption there, Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said Sunday.
Francisco Villa Jr. killed himself on November 9 inside his house in Parañaque City after allegedly being pressured to approve procurement contracts and hiring consultants without bidding and other proper procedures.
Reporter Rosario Sofia Villa said her brother had told her that ERC contracts were being executed before the actual bidding.
Andanar said there would be no sacred cows during the investigation, but that he still did not know which body would conduct the probe.
“Yes, there will be no sacred cows,” Andanar said.
Villa reportedly left three handwritten letters labeled as “suicide notes” that he drafted as early as August.
Senate Energy Committee Chairman Win Gatchalian is considering a Senate investigation into the alleged corruption at the ERC based on Villa’s disclosures.
“The allegations made by the late Director Villa indicate the possibility of widespread corruption within one of the most important government regulatory bodies,” Gatchalian said.
He said it might be prudent for the Senate Committee on Energy to investigate the case to protect the interests of electricity consumers.
In his interpellation on the proposed budget of the Department of Energy during the Senate plenary session on Thursday, Gatchalian referred to the ERC as “the Supreme Court of the power industry” due to its broad decision-making powers within the energy sector.
In particular, Gatchalian said the ERC was the body responsible for granting several types of permits that were necessary for power industry players to operate.
He said the ERC was tasked to insulate the power industry from vested interests and corruption.
“Corruption within the body itself could result in the proliferation of anti-competitive behavior which would be disastrous to the stability of our electricity supply,” Gatchalian said.
“ERC officials should be ready with a solid explanation which will put any doubts regarding their integrity to rest.”
Gatchalian promised that any investigation by his committee would be objective. He guaranteed the conduct of an impartial investigation with the integrity of the power sector as the foremost concern.
“We won’t make any prejudgments, but we will certainly seek out the truth,” Gatchalian said.
“A good man and respected public servant took his own life over this. We owe it to his memory to at least look into the allegations he made.”
Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi and Undersecretary Felix William Fuentebella also disclosed the plan to investigate.
Cusi said the Energy department and the ERC were “resolute” in finding out the truth behind the allegations and issues raised.
“We need a strong energy regulator and a united energy family. Our strength should be based on the truth. As the leader of the sector, I enjoin everyone to be fair,” Cusi said.