ERC chief, three others slapped with graft raps

Manila Times
November 11, 2014 9:17 pm
by REINA TOLENTINO REPORTER

GRAFT complaints were filed against Energy Regulatory Commission chief Zenaida Ducut and three ERC commissioners over a delay in releasing a report on an alleged collusion of generation companies to increase electricity rates last year.
Bayan Muna Representatives Neri Colmenares and Carlos Zarate filed the 11-page complaint on Tuesday at the Office of the Ombudsman.
“This report would reveal an attempt by power industry players to overcharge the people by at least P22 billion through the undersupply of electricity,” they claimed.
Besides Ducut, also named respondents were ERC Commissioners Alfredo Non, Gloria Victoria Yap-Taruc and Josefina Patricia Asirit.
The complainants claimed that the respondents failed to fulfill their commitment to come out with the report.
“Respondents’ failure to release the report for an unreasonably long time is a dismal failure to fulfill their obligation and is highly injurious to public interest,” they said.
Based on the complaint, the ERC first set the deadline to release the report on January 6, which was reset to March before the respondents again committed to publish the report on October 25.
Also, the respondents were accused of breach of conduct as well as violating the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001, which provides that the ERC shall stop and redress electric power industry players engaged in anti-competitive behavior. source