Give new ERC chief a chance

MANILA, Philippines – Malacañang defended yesterday the appointment of former congresswoman Zenaida Ducut as acting chair of the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), saying critics should first give her the chance to prove her worth.

Press Secretary Jesus Dureza said that Ducut should be judged based on her actions and not on perceptions “whether rightly or wrongly based.”

“But let’s give every person who has been appointed and given that authority, the opportunity to prove himself or herself,” he said.

“The quality of the pudding is in the eating. So let’s give her an opportunity,” he added.

Critics said Ducut’s only qualification is that she hails from Lubao, President Arroyo’s hometown in Pampanga.

Prior to her appointment, Ducut was deputy chief presidential legal counsel. She takes over from Rodolfo Albano Sr. who retired last July 9.

Even before Malacañang made the official announcement about Ducut’s appointment last Thursday, opposition Sen. Francis Escudero and Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. already knew about the appointment and assailed the President for her choice.

According to the senators, Ducut has no background in the field of energy.

The entry of Ducut into the ERC came at a time when the government has filed a number of petitions to bring down the rates charged by Meralco, the country’s biggest distribution utility.

The President herself issued the orders for the Department of Trade and Industry to file the petitions before the ERC, as she lamented that Meralco’s rates were the highest among the utilities in the country.

But the call for lower rates was seen as a sideshow to Meralco’s word war with Government Service Insurance System chief Winston Garcia, whose demand for Meralco to open its books was rebuffed by the power distributor.

Dureza emphasized that the ERC is an independent, quasi-judicial body that evaluates all of the petitions before rendering any decision.

“Our hope is that whoever is appointed there, whether it’s Zeny Ducut or anybody else, they will do whatever is necessary, faced with the evidence and the law,” Dureza said.

Controversies have hounded the President’s recent appointments.

The appointment of Commission on Higher Education chairman Romulo Neri as administrator and chief executive officer of the Social Security System earlier this week was widely criticized because of his involvement in the controversial NBN-ZTE deal with China.

“She (Ducut) has gotten already her appointment and we are confident that she is going to do the job properly,” Dureza said.

“All we know is that she (President Arroyo) has full trust that Zeny Ducut will perform accordingly,” he added.

At the Energy department, sources said Secretary Angelo Reyes has already congratulated Ducut in a letter. Reyes was unavailable for comment.

A DOE source who declined to be named said Ducut’s appointment has “political color.”

“Being an independent body, ERC should have a leader who is apolitical,” the source said.

“In fairness to her, since she still does not have any experience in power issues, she may be able to balance her judgment,” the source said, but added this may also be a disadvantage. “Since she doesn’t know anything, she may serve as a puppet of President Arroyo.” With Donnabelle Gatdula