Supreme Court urged: Enforce 4 ERC execs’ suspension

MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court (SC) has been asked to order the implementation of a suspension order against four officials of the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) who were found liable for favoring the Manila Electric Co.  (Meralco).

In a 17-page petition filed on Tuesday, militant group Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas (ABP) asked the high court to void the temporary restraining order (TRO) issued last month by the Court of Appeals (CA).

The appellate court stopped the suspension of ERC commissioners Alfredo Non, Gloria Victoria Yap-Taruc, Josefina Patricia Asirit and Geronimo Sta. Ana.

The group urged the SC to issue a TRO or status quo ante order and prevent the CA’s Ninth Division from further acting on the case or nullifying the suspension order issued in December by the Office of the Ombudsman.

The ABP said the CA erred in stopping the respondents’ one-year suspension, which should have been immediately executory under the law.

The group said that allowing the respondents to return to work could influence the resolution of “midnight contracts.”

Records show the ombudsman found the respondents administratively liable for conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, misconduct and neglect of duty.

They were also charged with graft before the Sandiganbayan.

The case stemmed from allegations that the respondents gave due preference to Meralco and its power supply agreements with affiliated power generation companies by extending the deadline for compliance of the competitive selective process from November 2015 to April 2016 and exempting the PSAs from undergoing a public bidding.