3-way race emerges for president of NPC

By Myrna M. Velasco – January 20, 2017, 10:00 PM

from Manila Bulletin

Three candidates are reportedly in the lead for the top post of state-owned National Power Corporation (NPC) – one of them previously chief executive of another government-run energy firm.

Those in the shortlist are former Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corporation Emmanuel R. Ledesma Jr., former Justice Secretary Agnes Devanadera and lawyer Roy Movido. There are other candidates in the roll, but these three are considered leading the pack.

Ledesma reportedly leans on the backing of Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez who is also the chairman of NPC Board; while Movido is the preferred contender of Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi.

Devanadera was earlier eyed for PSALM’s top post; but sources said, she was not exactly a shoo-in in that portfolio.

Ledesma served at PSALM in the last administration, but his stint was cut short due to controversies hurled against him, including legal charges filed against him before the Governance Commission for Government-Owned and Controlled Corporations (GCG) by the company’s employees.

He continued to serve government though with his appointment as member of the board of the National Transmission Corporation, the owner of the country’s power transmission assets.

NPC’s core mandate is more on managing residual power facilities following the privatization of many of its assets. One major asset left to it to co-manage with PSALM had been the Agus and Pulangui hydropower facilities in Mindanao

The power firm was also bestowed with vast responsibility to provide electricity supply to off-grid areas as well as improve their networks and infrastructure on power service delivery.

In the past three years, the power firm has concentrated on providing reliable energy to many economically flourishing island-grid domains by ramping up their supply for round-the-clock service or minimize their dilemma of power interruptions.