ERC execs won’t resign despite Duterte’s threat, open to probe

By : Shiela Mae Butlig,
Correspondent

Officials of the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) all have the same thought, that resignation is not an answer on President Rodrigo Duterte’s warning of quitting.

In Lima, Peru , last Sunday ,  Duterte pronounced this after the death of ERC Director Francisco Villa Jr., who committed suicide on Nov. 9 wherein he left a suicide note indicating his problems with his job.

“I am demanding that they all resign; they must all resign,” the President said during a press conference in Lima, Peru

“I have read the internal and the intelligence reports, binastos nila, like in the past,” he said.

He also warned that his source “has documents” and that it is just a matter of having government lawyers assessing such documents.

Urging congress for ERC’s disbandment.

“I demand from Congress to disband ERC and/or file a simultaneous case against them when I get back. Mabuti na malaman na nila bago ako mag-landing (better for them to know now before I arrive),” he said.

In an interview with TV Patrol, the sister of Villa, Charie Villa , who is a journalist, said that his suicidal note emphasized that he had been under pressure in approving procurement contracts without bidding or hire consultants as chair of ERC’s bids and awards committee.

Duterte then warned the officials that they better resign before he returns from his trip from Peru.

For his part ERC Chairman Vicente Salazar in an email said that he is waiting for the President’s return and will immediately seek out a meeting with him to give him a fuller picture of the developments that they have in ERC.

“I will definitely take the appropriate actions that would protect the organization . Part of this is our request to the Commission on Audit to immediately probe the allegations made by the late Director Jun Villa and our expression of support and full cooperation for the planned inquiry by the Senate Committee on Energy”, said Salazar.

On the other hand , one of the commission’s commissioner , Josefina Patricia “Aina” Magpale-Asirit , also in an email with this paper said that to ask all the commissioners to resign is an understandable reaction in light of what happened.

Adding that, the gains they have made in reforming the institution would be for naught if all of them will resigned. There are still much work for them to be done.

She reiterated that there is a law governing their appointment ,tenure, and removal , these are safeguards of due process. However, she said that they welcome any investigation and fully support the call of COA and NBI to engage in an independent probe.

“I believe that it is imperative that we face the issue squarely and not turn our backs through resignation,”  Commissioner Aina ended. (with reports from pna)