Appointment issues hound ex-ERC chair

By Manila Standard Business – March 14, 2019 at 07:05 pm

Former Energy Regulatory Commission chairman Jose Vicente Salazar continues to face issues involving appointments in the powerful regulatory body.

A Civil Service Commission resolution issued on Dec. 18 showed Salazar allegedly overreached his authority by meddling in the internal affairs of the ERC instead of going through the official process of consulting the collegial body.

Salazar allegedly issued 135 appointments, including 18 appointments of division chief and director positions, without a prior concurrence from the ERC en banc.

Salazar, during his tenure as ERC chief, allegedly requested the CSC to give him the sole power to appoint directors and employees at ERC. The CSC denied his request in the said resolution and is now conducting an audit of appointments issued to ERC officials and employees.

The resolution upholds that the appointing power in ERC rests with its collegial body composed of its chairman and four members, and not with the chairman and CEO alone.

The former ERC chief was replaced by incumbent chairperson Agnes Devanadera.  Devanadera urged ERC personnel to adhere to the values of work efficiency, effectiveness and technical or professional competence.