House slashes ERC budget from P351 M to P1,000

MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives yesterday reduced the proposed 2018 budget of the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) from P351 million to just P1,000.

Zamboanga City Rep. Celso Lobregat, appropriations committee vice chairman in charge of the ERC outlay, made the motion to drastically cut its funding to effectively shut down the agency next year.

Assistant Minority Leader Lito Atienza supported Lobregat’s motion, saying, “If that is what the majority wants, we have no problem with it.”

Lobregat did not give any reason for the huge reduction. However, the drastic cut is apparently in support of President Duterte’s wish to abolish the ERC.

The President has repeatedly threatened to abolish the ERC or ask Congress to deny it the funds needed to operate. He also called on its chairman and commissioners to resign, a call that was met by the ERC officials with a challenge for him to just file charges in court.

Malacañang had earlier suspended ERC chairman Jose Vicente Salazar for insubordination as well as asked his colleagues to explain their recent “expensive” foreign trips.

The P1,000 budget the House gave the agency is not even enough for an employee’s allowance.        

Ironically, it was Duterte who proposed to give the agency P351 million for next year – the amount being a part of the P3.8-trillion 2018 national budget he presented to Congress last July 24.

Of the P351 million, P181.4 million would have gone to salaries, P166.6 million for maintenance and other operating expenses and P17.2 million for capital expenditures.

But if he would have his way, Atienza would rather have the House of Representatives allocate more funds for housing.