A militant lawmaker on Friday scored the Energy Regulatory Commission for “obstinately defying” the Ombudsman’s order to suspend its four commissioners over the highly questionable Meralco power supply agreements pending before it.
“It is clear that Commissioners Gloria Victoria Yap-Taruc, Alfredo Non, Josefina Patricia Magpala-Asirit and Geronimo Sta. Ana were found guilty of conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, aggravated by simple misconduct and simple neglect of duty by the Office of the Ombudsman and the said decision should be implemented immediately. They committed an offense detrimental to the public and they should be made accountable and not treated as sacred cows,” Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Carlos Zarate said
In a decision dated Sept. 29, 2017, the Ombudsman ordered the suspension of commissioners.
The Ombudsman also ordered the filing of criminal charges for graft and corruption against the commissioners, including the already dismissed former ERC chairperson Vicente Salazar, for “manifestly” favoring Meralco when the commission extended the Nov. 9, 2015 deadline to April 30, 2016 for the conduct of competitive selection process in the procurement of electricity by distribution utilities.