ERC Chairman Devanadera given 2 years to relinquish CEO post

By Myrna M. Velasco – June 20, 2018, 10:00 PM
from Manila Bulletin

The current chairperson of the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) Agnes T. Devanadera is being given two years “to put her house in order”; then she must already relinquish her other post as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the regulatory body.

The chief of the ERC exercises dual function: one is being a Chairman on the regulatory facets of work at the Commission; and the other, as a CEO on the administrative side of the agency’s operations.

But a legislative measure principally authored by Senate Committee on Energy Chairman Sherwin T. Gatchalian is targeting to split that function – that another individual shall assume as a CEO or be the Executive Director managing the administrative affairs of the ERC.

The lawmaker told reporters that the ERC chief has been objecting to that proposal, on grounds that she cannot fix the problems of the agency if she is stripped of her administrative duties.

“So I told them that I will have to put a grace period of two years, I think that will be enough,” Gatchalian stressed.

On that propounded two-year transition phase, Devanadera can still assume as the ERC’s CEO handling administrative matters for the Commission, but after that, she has to let go of that function already to another individual that shall be appointed to the agency.

Gatchalian’s call on immediate restructuring of the ERC had intensified with last week’s ruling of the Office of the Ombudsman rendering a three-month suspension anew on the four ERC Commissioners – Alfredo J. Non, Gloria Victoria Yap-Taruc, Josefina Patricia M. Asirit and Geronimo D. Sta. Ana.

“There is an urgent need to implement sweeping reforms that will restore the institutional integrity of the ERC and rebuild the public confidence in the Commission that has been virtually eliminated by the never-ending list of recent scandals,” the senator said.

He thus emphasized that the Senate committee on energy, “will fast-track the passage of the ERC Governance Act,” a critical piece of energy legislation seeking to institutionalize much-needed reforms in the regulatory body – primarily by “de-concentrating power within the ERC and by compelling the body to be more open and transparent in its decision-making processes.”

The solon emphasized that “currently, the substitute bill is being finalized by the Committee. I am expecting to sponsor the measure on the Senate floor when the session resumes in July.”

Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi, for his part, has noted that this fresh round of disbandment from holding office enforced upon the ERC Commissioners is another big blow to the industry, “because the ERC might have pressing matters to address.”