Petilla asked to stay in post until Noy finds replacement

By Iris Gonzales (The Philippine Star) | Updated May 6, 2015 - 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines - Resigned Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla has been asked to stay in his post until President Aquino appoints a new energy chief.

“I’ve been asked to stay until he finds and decides on my replacement,” Petilla said yesterday.

Petilla announced last week that he has resigned effective April 30.

Industry sources said former energy secretary Rafael Perpetuo Lotilla, an independent director of Aboitiz Equity Ventures (AEV) and Trans-Asia Petroleum Corp., and National Transmission Co. (Transco) president Rolando Bacani are being eyed to replace Petilla but Malacañang has not made any announcement on this yet.

Petilla, for his part, has recommended Energy Undersecretary Zenaida Monsada as OIC of the department until the end of the Aquino administration.

While waiting for his replacement, Petilla said he would continue to work on three major projects aimed at bringing prices of electricity lower.

It is not clear how long Petilla will stay at the DOE but when he announced his resignation last week, he said that he cannot stay beyond October.

Government officials who plan to run for the 2016 elections must leave their posts in October.

Petilla, however, is still mum on his political plans, reiterating that he “may or may not run.”

Petilla is the 11th secretary of the post-Marcos era Department of Energy. He is known among industry stakeholders to be the most consumer-oriented energy chief, going against power bullies to keep electricity as affordable and as accessible to as many consumers as possible.

He assumed the position of energy secretary on Nov. 5, 2012, preceding Jose Rene Almendras, who is now secretary to the Cabinet.

Prior to his appointment as the secretary of the DOE, Petilla served as the Leyte governor for three consecutive terms since 2004. source