Court order on ERC to expire on April 12

By Alena Mae S. Flores – April 09, 2018 at 07:00 pm
from manilastandard.net

Energy stakeholders expressed hope the Energy Regulatory Commission will continue its function even as the 60-day temporary restraining order issued by the Court of Appeals on the Office of the Ombudsman is set to expire this week.

The Ombudsman ordered the suspension of four commissioners of the five-man commission in December last year, but the CA granted a 60-day TRO against the suspension order on Feb. 9.

ERC chairman Agnes Devanadera said the agency “deal with matters by the day” but industry players were hoping that the issue would be resolved soon.

The CA issued a resolution on Feb.  9 stating that the 60-day TRO was issued “in view of the foregoing, and to avoid serious and irreparable disruption in the operation of the ERC and to prevent adverse repercussions on the power industry as a whole.”

ERC spokesman Floresinda Digal earlier said the TRO was set to expire on April 12.

“That’s beyond us, but we just hope we have a working ERC for the sake of our country having reliable and stable energy,” Meralco PowerGen president Rogelio Singson said.

Semirara Mining & Power Corp. chairman Isidro Consunji said he was hoping that the ERC would continue its work as “many things are pending.”